News

Illinois has been approved to begin requesting access to over $1 billion in federal funds allocated for the state associated with the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

Illinois has become one of the most recent states to receive National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approval for their initial BEAD proposal.

The approval, announced earlier this month, clears the path for Illinois to begin requesting access to $1 billion dollars in BEAD funds.

“I’m grateful to our federal partners at NTIA for this important funding, which will help us continue to bring broadband access to underserved homes and communities—building a stronger Illinois for all,” said Governor JB Pritzker, according to an NTIA release that announced the approval.

With the approval, Illinois joins states like Maine, Colorado, and Oregon, who have also been cleared to begin requesting access to BEAD funds.

Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, who represents the 4th district in Illinois, applauded the news and said BEAD funds will help erase the digital divide in Illinois.

“Digital equity is a matter of social justice, as working-class neighborhoods and communities of color like the ones I represent, are often the ones with the wider digital gaps,” García said, according to the NTIA’s announcement.

The state will now be expected to submit their final BEAD proposal in June 2025, which will detail the subgrantees that were chosen and how the state will ensure service to unserved and underserved locations.

According to the National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA), once deployment goals are met, remaining funding can be used on internet adoption, training, and workforce development efforts.

A full version of the initial BEAD proposals submitted by Illinois, both volumes 1 and 2, are available online at the Connect Illinois website.

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