NTIA BEAD Program

Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD Program)

For the NTIA BEAD Program, each State is in different phases of setting up its programs; use the dashboard and resources below to follow along with what phase each State is in, and other critical information for each State’s BEAD Program.

The NTIA Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD Program) is a $42.5 billion broadband grants program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that provides financial support for Broadband Planning, Deployment, Mapping, Equity, and Adoption Activities to make broadband accessible across the United States. Click here to learn more. 

NTIA BEAD Program State Progress Dashboard

NTIA BEAD Program Dashboard

State BEAD Programs

All 56 States and Territories have both BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1 and 2 approved by the NTIA.

StateVol 1 ApprovedVol 2 ApprovedChallenge Process Submission RunningChallenge Process Initial Submissions ClosedBEAD Eligible Locations ApprovedEntered 1-Year Subgrantee Selection PhaseBEAD ISP Awardee Selection StartedBEAD ISP Awardee Selection CompletedFinal Proposal Released for Public Comment
AlabamaYesYesNoYesYes
AlaskaYesYesNoYesYesYes
ArizonaYesYesNoYesYesYes
ArkansasYesYesNoYesYes
CaliforniaYesNoNoYesYes
ColoradoYesYesNoYesYes – click for more infoYesYes
ConnecticutYesYesNoYesYes
DelawareYesYesNoYesYes – click for more infoYesYesYesYes
District of ColombiaYesYesNoYesYes
FloridaYesYesNoYesYes
GeorgiaYesYesNoYesYesYesYes
HawaiiYesYesNoYesYes
IdahoYesYesNoYesYes
IllinoisYesYesNoYesYesYes
IndianaYesYesNoYesYes
IowaYesYesNoYesYes
KansasYesYesNoYesYesYesYes
KentuckyYesYesNoYesYes
LouisianaYesYesNoYesYes – click for more infoYesYesYesYes
MaineYesYesNoYesYes
MarylandYesYesNoYesYes
MassachusettsYesYesNoYesYes
MichiganYesYesNoYesYes
MinnesotaYesYesNoYesYes
MississippiYesYesNoYesYes
MissouriYesYesNoYesClick for more infoYesYes
MontanaYesYesNoYesYes – click for more infoYesYes
NebraskaYesYesNoYesClick for more infoYes
NevadaYesYesNoYesYes – click for more infoYesYesYesYes
New HampshireYesYesNoYesYes
New JerseyYesYesYesYes
New MexicoYesYesNoYesClick for more infoYes
New YorkYesYesNoYesClick for more infoYesYes
North CarolinaYesNoNoYesYes
North DakotaYesYesNoYesYesYesYes
OhioYesYesNoYesYes
OklahomaYes YesNoYesYes
OregonYesYesNoYesYes
PennsylvaniaYesYesNoYesYesYesYes
Rhode IslandYesYesNoYesYes
South CarolinaYesYesNoYesYesYes
South DakotaYesYesNoYesYes
TennesseeYesYesNoYesYes
TexasYesYesNoYesYes
UtahYesYesNoYesYes
VermontYesYesNoYesYes – click for more infoYes
VirginiaYesYesNoYesYesYes
WashingtonYesYesNoYesClick for more infoYesYes
West VirginiaYesYesNoYesYes – click for more infoYesYes
WisconsinYesYesNoYesYesYes
WyomingYesYesNoYesYesYes
Updated 12/31/24

Key NTIA BEAD Program Information

NTIA BEAD Program Timeline

All 56 States and Territories have completed the BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1 and 2 Phases. Now, each State and Territory is either finalizing its Challenge Process, starting its Subgrantee Selection program, completing the Subgrantee Selection program, or releasing their BEAD Final Proposal.

NTIA BEAD TIMELINE Jan 2025

NTIA BEAD Challenge Process

As part of NTIA’s BEAD program, the BEAD Challenge Process is where each Eligible Entity (states, territories, and D.C.) will conduct a challenge process to confirm locations eligible for BEAD funding. Each Eligible Entity must outline how they will conduct their challenge process in their Initial Proposal to NTIA. After submission of the Initial Proposal, and approval of the proposed challenge process, is when each Eligible Entity’s BEAD Challenge Process will take place.

The overall purpose of the BEAD Challenge Process is to allow local government, nonprofits, and service providers to supply their input on whether a location lacks high-speed internet access and is eligible for BEAD funding.

NTIA BEAD Challenge Process Sequence of Events

To get more granular on the steps that will be taken for the BEAD Challenge Process, listed below is the guidance NTIA gave in their “Introduction to the Challenge Process Webinar” on the eleven steps that Eligible Entities and NTIA will perform related to the Challenge Process.

1. Eligible Entity Develops Initial Proposal Volume I

During this step, “Eligible Entities will consult with their Federal Program Officers (FPOs) to identify unserved and underserved locations using the National Broadband Map, identify eligible CAIs, and develop a transparent, evidence-based, fair, and expeditious challenge process that includes their proposed pre-challenge process location modifications (e.g., the proposed deduplication process). Prior to submitting to NTIA, the Initial Proposal must be made available for public comment for no less than 30 days. Eligible Entities must conduct outreach and engagement activities to encourage feedback and include a description of comments received and how they were incorporated.”

2. Eligible Entity Submits Initial Proposal Volume I (submitting Vol I before Vol II is optional)

3. Eligible Entity Submits Full Initial Proposal (Volume I and Volume II)

4. NTIA Reviews and Approves or Disapproves Initial Proposal Volume I

5. Eligible Entities Run Approved Modifications and Deduplication of Funding Process

6. Eligible Entities Run the Approved Challenge Process

7. Eligible Entity Runs Another Deduplication of Funding Process

8. Eligible Entities Submit Challenge Results to NTIA

10. NTIA Communicates Determination to Eligible Entities

11. Eligible Entities Publish Final Determinations

*Watch NTIA’s “Introduction to the Challenge Process Webinar or review their webinar deck (slides 14-15) for more details on the sequence of events for the BEAD Challenge Process.

NTIA BEAD Challenge Process Design Requirements

Each Eligible Entity’s Challenge Process must include the following 4 phases:

NTIA BEAD Program Challenge Process

BEAD Design Requirements. From the NTIA Webinar Deck.

Click here for more information on the BEAD Challenge Process.

NTIA BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process

Once States and Territories conduct a Challenge Process and have their Initial Proposal Volume 2 approved, they can move on to the Subgrantee Selection phase of the BEAD Program.

Eligible Entities can create a competitive Subgrantee Selection process and will have up to one year to conduct additional local coordination, complete the selection process, and submit a Final Proposal to NTIA. “The Eligible Entity may utilize the funding provided (not less than 20 percent of the Eligible Entity’s total grant funds) to initiate certain eligible activities before submission and approval of their Final Proposals.”

“Each Eligible Entity must establish fair, open, and competitive processes for selecting subgrantees. The selection of subgrantees is a critically important process that will determine which providers will bring service to all Americans, and in many cases, which entities will stand up and operate training programs and take other actions aimed at closing the digital divide. Eligible Entities’ selection processes must be made clear to potential subgrantees and must be described in the Eligible Entity’s Initial Proposal and Final Proposal.”

NTIA BEAD Reporting Requirements

According to NTIA’s BEAD NOFO, “Both Eligible Entities and subgrantees will be required to comply with reporting requirements. In addition to the reporting requirements found in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, NTIA will provide additional reporting instructions in connection with the requirements set forth in this Section, including details on the manner and format that Eligible Entities will be required to report information in support of federal agency obligations under the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, 47 USC § 1307, and Infrastructure Act § 60105.101.”

BEAD Reporting Requirements for Subgrantees

The recipient of a subgrant from an Eligible Entity under this Section shall submit to the Eligible
Entity a regular reporting, at least semiannually, for the duration of the subgrant to track the
effectiveness of the use of funds provided. Each report shall describe each type of project and/or
other eligible activities carried out using the subgrant and the duration of the subgrant. Eligible
Entities may add additional reporting requirements or increase the frequency of reporting with
the approval of the Assistant Secretary and must make all subgrantee reports available to NTIA
upon request.

In the case of a broadband infrastructure project, the report must, at minimum:

  1. Include a list of addresses or location identifications (including the Broadband
    Serviceable Location Fabric established under 47 U.S.C. 642(b)(1)(B)) that constitute the
    service locations that will be served by the broadband infrastructure to be constructed and
    the status of each project;
  2. Identify new locations served within each project area at the relevant reporting intervals,
    and service taken (if applicable);
  3. Identify whether each address or location is residential, commercial, or a community
    anchor institution;
  4. Describe the types of facilities that have been constructed and installed;
  5. Describe the peak and off-peak actual speeds of the broadband service being offered;
  6. Describe the maximum advertised speed of the broadband service being offered;
  7. Describe the non-promotional prices, including any associated fees, charged for different
    tiers of broadband service being offered;
  8. List all interconnection agreements that were requested, and their current status;
  9. Report the number and amount of contracts and subcontracts awarded by the subgrantee
    disaggregated by recipients of each such contract or subcontracts that are MBEs or
    WBEs;
  10. Include any other data that would be required to comply with the data and mapping
    collection standards of the Commission under Section 1.7004 of title 47, Code of Federal
    Regulations, or any successor regulation, for broadband infrastructure projects;
  11. Include an SF-425, Federal Financial Report and meet the requirements described in the
    Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (dated
    November 12, 2020), Section A.01 for Financial Reports;
  12. For projects over $5,000,000 (based on expected total cost):
    a. A subgrantee may provide a certification that, for the relevant Project, all laborers
    and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors in the performance of
    such Project are paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing, as determined
    by the U.S. Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of
    title 40, United States Code (commonly known as the “Davis-Bacon Act”), for the
    corresponding classes of laborers and mechanics employed on projects of a
    character similar to the contract work in the civil subdivision of the State (or the
    District of Columbia) in which the work is to be performed, or by the appropriate
    State entity pursuant to a corollary State prevailing-wage-in-construction law
    (commonly known as “baby Davis-Bacon Acts”). If such certification is not
    provided, a Recipient must provide a project employment and local impact report
    detailing:
    i. The number of contractors and sub-contractors working on the Project;
    ii. The number of workers on the Project hired directly and hired through a
    third party;
    iii. The wages and benefits of workers on the Project by classification; and
    iv. Whether those wages are at rates less than those prevailing.

NTIA Build-Out Requirements

Per NTIA’s BEAD NOFO, Eligible Entities shall ensure that each subgrantee deploys its Funded Networks and begins providing broadband service to each customer that desires broadband service not later than four years after the date on which the subgrantee receives the subgrant for the applicable network. Eligible Entities shall establish interim buildout milestones, enforceable as conditions of the subgrant, sufficient to ensure that subgrantees are making reasonable progress toward meeting the four-year deployment deadline. Eligible Entities may, following consultation with the NTIA and with the approval of the Assistant Secretary, extend the deadlines under this subparagraph if the Eligible Entity reasonably determines that (i) the subgrantee has a specific plan for use of the grant funds, with project completion expected by a specific date not more than one year after the four-year deadline; (ii) the construction project is underway; or (iii) extenuating circumstances require an extension of time to allow the project to be completed.

CostQuest is your BEAD Program partner

OnLook for Bead Module Graphic

BEAD Program Solutions


Easily envision BEAD grant opportunities and create grant applications with the BEAD Funding Data Module for OnLook! OnLook is a complete GIS analytics Application built to help you easily uncover BEAD-eligible areas and other critical insights to inform broadband grant offensive and defensive strategies intelligently. Effortlessly visualize and uncover data insights about each state’s NTIA-approved BEAD-eligible locations, service availability, cost to serve, profitability, demographics, and more at the HEX-9 level.

BEAD Program Solutions


For service providers, engineers, consultants, and government entities, the BroadbandFabric GIS Datasets provide the quality and foundational data required to effectively and seamlessly inform broadband deployment, business planning, operations, and policy decisions. Using CostQuest’s core Broadband Serviceable Location data, tied directly to federal initiatives such as the FCC’s BDC and NTIA’s BEAD programs, CostQuest created the BroadbandFabric Data Suites – Geographic Information System (GIS) location datasets at the coordinate/address-level, that come with insightful broadband-specific data attributes per location. Data attributes include location, service availability, technology, carrier, federally funded information, addresses, building types, cost to serve, demographics, and much more. Learn how to leverage GIS Fabric data to empower your broadband projects, especially for the NTIA’s BEAD Program.

BEAD Program Solutions - BroadbandFabric GIS Data

More NTIA BEAD Program Resources

Webinar: Key Considerations for BEAD Applications

Overview: Key Considerations for BEAD Applications

Unpacking BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2 from States & Territories  

National Broadband Map Update

About the Fabric Licensing for BEAD & Other Granting Programs 

A GIS image with broadband service availability and fiber routes

Assessing Markets for Fiber Expansion – A Real World Example

CostQuest BroadbandFabric - Broadband Serviceable Locations

Broadband Economics & Leveraging GIS Data for Broadband Planning

BroadbandFabric Data – GIS Data for Effective Broadband Decisions  

OnLook for BEAD – GIS Data Analytics App for bEAD Opportunity analysis 

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