News
Two states, Colorado and New Hampshire, will now be able to request access to Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funds following the approval of their initial proposals.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved both volumes of initial BEAD proposals for Colorado and New Hampshire, allowing both states to gain access to BEAD funds.
The approvals were announced by the NTIA earlier this week, with a release on the NTIA’s website.
As a result, New Hampshire will now be able to request access to more than $196 million in BEAD funds for broadband deployment. Colorado, conversely, a larger state in terms of geography and population, will be able to request access to $826 million.
Where to find the approved proposals
The broadband offices in both states have published volumes one and two of the initial proposals on their respective websites.
Colorado’s approved initial BEAD proposals, available here, include plans to connect 99 percent of the state’s households by the end of 2027.
Meanwhile, New Hampshire’s approved initial proposals, available here, outline plans to build broadband infrastructure to 100 percent of the state’s serviceable locations by 2029.
Governors of both states applauded the approvals in comments included with the NTIA’s announcement.
“New Hampshire has moved faster than any other state in the country to build out our broadband infrastructure and provide residents with access to fast, reliable service at one of the lowest costs per location nationally,” said New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis thanked the Biden Administration for their partnership with Colorado.
“I was pleased to be the first governor in the nation to support this law,” he said. “We look forward to seeing even more Colorado households get access to the Internet they need to thrive.”
The BEAD program, outlined under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is a $42.45 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S., according to the NTIA, an executive branch agency that operates within the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, the former governor of Rhode Island, commended Colorado and New Hampshire.
She said both states had created “a strong plan to ensure everyone in their states have access to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service,” according to the NTIA’s release.
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