The BEAD showdown is here.

For months, broadband industry experts have sounded the alarm that the decisions made over this year have and will affect the trajectory of broadband in America for decades to come. 

Standing more than halfway through 2024 – the Year of BEAD – and mere days before Mountain Connect 2024, we’ve reached an inflection point. 

The question remains for providers: Are you prepared to answer your nation’s call to grow your broadband services to families that are currently unserved and underserved? 

The BEAD showdown is here. 

State broadband offices across the country have launched their challenge processes with Louisiana and Delaware among the first states to have their challenge processes approved. Louisiana also was the first state to have both volumes of its initial BEAD proposal approved last year. 

Over the next few months, as more states begin to receive approval for their challenge processes, the focus will begin to shift from planning projects to deploying funds. 

Broadband experts have warned for months that 90 days simply isn’t enough time to successfully complete a BEAD application. 
Louisiana, for instance, had a 30-day pre-qualification window that required a consortium pre-qualification application and a company specific pre-qualification application to be submitted by Sunday, July 14. Those who didn’t submit on-time are ineligible to submit applications for a share of Louisiana’s BEAD allocation. 

Time is running out 

Families without broadband service are relying on providers – whether that’s local ISPs, rural electric cooperatives, or municipal broadband networks – to do their share to narrow the digital divide. 

Providers who plan to expand their broadband footprint through BEAD are already being empowered with tools to ensure their success. 

By automating thier reporting and compliance obligations, providers will be able to pursue BEAD grants with confidence and without hiring an army. By subtracting mountains of paperwork, providers will be able to focus on the most important task at hand: connecting more families to broadband. 

Numerous efforts have also been made to simplify the BEAD process, such as eliminating Letter of Credit requirements in exchange for performance bonds, have been made to encourage broader provider participation. Many of these efforts have also been previously chronicled by the Fiber Broadband Association in its “Where’s the Funding” series released last year. 

These efforts don’t make applying for BEAD easy, but they make it within reach for thousands of providers who have the opportunity to make a positive impact in their communities. 

Remember what’s at stake 

Providers know more than anyone else what’s at stake for America if we miss this opportunity. 

Improved broadband access not only narrows the digital divide but ensures that America lives up to its promise of equal opportunity for all.