State broadband directors: your work isn’t wasted. You’ve spent years building a solid foundation to execute BEAD, and that foundation still matters.NTIA’s new policy notice confirms that BEAD is moving forward. Now, you have a defined 90-day path to reopen competition, apply updated scoring criteria, and direct funding where it’s needed most.Ready BOSS is positioned to help you navigate this transition with precision and confidence.<h2>Seeing The Big Picture: From Three Tiers to Two</h2>A fundamental change in NTIA's restructuring is the collapse of the previous three-tier technology hierarchy. Gone are the days of "Priority Broadband Projects" (fiber), "Other Last-Mile Projects" (cable/fixed wireless), and "Alternative Technologies" (satellite).Old Model: Fiber automatically won unless costs exceeded "Extremely High Cost" thresholds&nbsp; New Model: Any technology meeting 100/20 Mbps and ≤100ms latency competes on cost alone<h2>What You Must Do: The 90-Day Sprint</h2><h3>Days 0–30: Submit Your Correction Letter</h3><ul><li>Use NTIA's one-page template to amend your Initial Proposal</li><li>Rescind all previous subgrantee selections (they can recompete)</li><li>Notify applicants about the "Benefit of the Bargain Round"</li></ul><h3>Days 30–60: Launch New Competition</h3><ul><li>Reopen prequalification to all technology providers</li><li>Allow 14 days for Unlicensed Fixed Wireless providers to assert coverage</li><li>Update location lists using NTIA's new reason codes</li></ul><h3>Days 60–90: Select and Submit</h3><ul><li>Score based on lowest BEAD outlay (primary criterion)</li><li>Consider speed to deployment only for bids within 15% of lowest cost</li><li>Submit streamlined Final Proposal for 90-day NTIA review</li></ul>Even though all applications must be rescored under the new rules, your original evaluations are still valuable. Preserving the data to do a comparison analysis will be key in the Benefit of the Bargain justification.<h2>What the New Scoring Prioritizes</h2>The new rules simplify evaluation. Your scoring must now prioritize three core things:<ol><li>Lowest total BEAD outlay (including match)</li><li>Fastest deployment timeline (earlier than the 4-year requirement)</li><li>Technical capabilities of the proposed network</li></ol>This clarity reduces decision friction, but it also means you’ll need to evaluate a wider range of technologies and cost models than before.<h2>A New Approach to Location Lists</h2>Your BEAD-eligible location list must be updated using NTIA’s new “reason codes” framework. Specifically, you must:<ul><li>Remove any locations already covered by enforceable commitments</li><li>Remove locations served by qualified unlicensed fixed wireless providers (after a short verification process)</li><li>Add locations that have become eligible due to defaults or disqualifications in other federal programs</li></ul>You must also allow ULFW providers to assert coverage and validate that they meet the required technical standards within a strict 14-day timeline. In addition, you’ll need to revise the CAI list to align with NTIA’s new requirements.<h2>Low-Cost Plan Changes</h2>Under the new rules, states are no longer allowed to set or suggest specific low-cost broadband rates. Subgrantees must now propose their own low-cost plans, and NTIA will only accept Final Proposals that include provider-defined rates.Additionally, eligibility for these plans has been narrowed. Instead of using ACP criteria, eligibility now aligns with the FCC’s Lifeline Program, making fewer households qualify.<h2>What’s Out (for Now)</h2>States are also being told to halt all non-deployment activities under BEAD funding. That includes digital equity programs, device distribution, digital literacy training, and similar efforts. NTIA will not reimburse any new costs for these activities incurred after June 6, 2025.<h2>Delivering on the Promise of BEAD</h2>If you need support, Ready is here to help.<ul><li>Instantly rescore existing applications under new cost-focused criteria</li><li>Model scenarios comparing technology options across your geography</li><li>Track compliance in real-time through the Director's Dashboard</li><li>Generate reports proving your selections deliver maximum value</li><li>Re-run challenge extremely fast</li></ul>Ready APP's geospatial capabilities let you simulate mixed-technology deployments, identify where LEO or fixed wireless makes sense, and demonstrate cost optimization across your entire state.The future of American connectivity will be shaped by the work you do in the next 90 days. We’re here to make sure you’re ready for the road ahead.More to come soon.

NTIA just launched a new 90-day path to the finish line. You’ve already laid the foundation. Now it’s time to finish strong. Ready is here to help you meet the deadline and deliver on the promise to get America connected.

Get Ready to Finish BEAD

NTIA just launched a new 90-day path to the finish line. You’ve already laid the foundation. Now it’s time to finish strong.

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In ancient China, the term shashoujian (杀手锏), or “Assassin’s Mace,” referred to a secret weapon used to overcome a superior adversary with a sudden, decisive strike. Today, Chinese military planners have adapted the concept into a doctrine of asymmetric <a href="/digital-infrastructure-terms/chinas-assassins-mace-asymmetric-warfare">warfare by developing modern “Assassin’s Maces” to exploit America’s hidden vulnerabilities</a>. These weapons are designed to strike at the most opportune moment, known in Chinese as shi (势).I’ve spent years thinking about what this means for America’s vulnerable critical infrastructure. The more you look, the clearer it becomes: these weapons are not aimed at our tanks or aircraft carriers. They’re aimed at what ties everything together. Our networks. Our data centers. Our satellites. Our invisible systems that power everything from military operations to hospitals, utilities, and financial markets.To better serve the communities they represent, state leaders must be equipped with the knowledge to understand the weapons China will wield against our critical, civilian infrastructure in the opening days of conflict.Here are six of the most critical Assassin’s Maces that could strike first:<h2>Cloud Eraser</h2>While EMPs of the past relied on the detonation of nuclear payloads in the upper atmosphere, modern systems can include drone-mounted electromagnetic pulse generators capable of more precise targeting. What once required a sledgehammer can now be attempted with a scalpel. Due to the fact that America’s data centers are often highly centralized and undefended, Cloud Erasers can disrupt or damage critical cloud infrastructure within minutes.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/drone_b1c5e275e2/drone_b1c5e275e2.png"></figure><h2>Deep Cutter</h2>What may outwardly appear to be a civilian maritime vessel could in fact be this next Mace: a patented undersea cable cutter that dredges along the ocean floor, severing fiber optic cables up to 4,000 meters below the surface. More than 90% of global internet traffic depends on these deep sea cables, and a coordinated strike by Deep Cutter could sever transoceanic communication.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/cutter_a1503e81cf/cutter_a1503e81cf.png"></figure><h2>Constellation Killer</h2>In the blink of an eye, China could destroy all of America’s low-earth orbit satellites using either kinetic or directed-energy weapons. A single strike can trigger a chain reaction known as a Kessler Cascade, where shattered satellites collide into others, creating a maelstrom of low-earth orbit debris. Although the United States operates the majority of LEO satellites, China has relatively few. This makes Constellation Killer a low-risk, high-reward strategy.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/kessler_1_22143d24a0/kessler_1_22143d24a0.png"></figure><h2>Cyber Attack</h2>China’s cyber capabilities are the most deeply embedded of the Assassin’s Maces. Chinese-manufactured boards, chips, and switches are widely used across U.S. networks, raising concerns about potential hardware and firmware vulnerabilities. In May 2025, U.S. investigators uncovered rogue communication devices in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries. As fears grow over supply chain integrity, millions of networked devices are now viewed as possible tools for digital disruption, echoing Sun Tzu’s warning: “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/cyber_warfare_2b86c55892/cyber_warfare_2b86c55892.png"></figure><h2>Blended Domains</h2>America’s traditional separation of military and civilian infrastructure becomes a liability in a conflict with China’s People’s Liberation Army. The PLA’s Blended Domains philosophy, described in Unrestricted Warfare, the 1999 PLA book, outlines a coordinated “cocktail” of social, economic, and informational tactics aimed at degrading societal cohesion before the first shot is fired. As PLA Colonels Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui wrote, “all the boundaries lying between the two worlds of war and non-war, of military and non-military, will be totally destroyed.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/blended_domains_41a773e312/blended_domains_41a773e312.png"></figure><h2>AI Supremacy</h2>Most people view America as having the upper hand when it comes to AI. But China’s decades of investment in resilient digital infrastructure mean they could gain significant advantage in an AI-dependent conflict. True dominance in AI isn’t just about algorithms—it depends on the physical infrastructure that supports them. The future battlefield may not be decided by firepower, but by whichever side can keep their systems online when it matters most.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/ai_prime_cb44e8bf9c/ai_prime_cb44e8bf9c.png"></figure><h2>America's Digital Vulnerability</h2>America’s digital systems were designed for efficiency, not endurance. Centralized architectures, single points of failure, and cost-driven shortcuts have created a fragile foundation. One targeted strike can trigger ripple effects that bring entire sectors to a halt.<img class="image_resized" style="width:30%;" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/china_off_switch_quote_98cc989365/china_off_switch_quote_98cc989365.jpg" alt="CHINA HAS AN OFF SWITCH FOR AMERICA"> States leaders need to understand that these capabilities are real, and they exist today. The only unknown is timing. Preparing for that moment will require more than policy shifts or software updates. It demands a different way of thinking about the digital systems we depend on. States need infrastructure that can take a hit and keep going.That’s exactly why we created the Resilient Digital Infrastructure Framework—a practical approach to designing systems that can endure disruption and recover fast.Download the white paper to learn how to shift our vulnerable critical infrastructure to critical infrastructure that’s ready for anything.<a href="https://ready.net/resilient-digital-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Get the White Paper &nbsp;</a>&nbsp;1 <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/sep/6/inside-ring-china-advances-emp-weapons-military-wr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inside the Ring: China advances EMP weapons - Washington Times</a> 2 <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/china-conflict-undersea-cables-cutting-internet-data-subsea-marine-baltic-taiwan-2012396" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">China Conflict: Cutting Undersea Cables - Newsweek</a> 3 <a href="https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-assassins-mace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Assassin’s Mace - The New Atlantis</a> 4 <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ghost Machine: Rogue Devices in Chinese Inverters - Reuters</a> 5 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_Warfare" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Unrestricted Warfare - Wikipedia</a> 6 <a href="https://cenjows.in/chinas-algorithmic-warfare-strategic-implications-of-ai-driven-military-operations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">China’s Algorithmic Warfare - CENJOWS</a> 7 <a href="https://www.cna.org/reports/2021/10/the-pla-and-intelligent-warfare-preliminary-analysis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The PLA and Intelligent Warfare - CNA</a>

For over two years, state broadband directors and their teams have built BEAD programs tailored to the needs of their states. Now, last-minute changes could delay deployments and create new hurdles.

Learn how China’s “Assassin’s Mace” weapons—ranging from EMP drones to satellite killers—could cripple America’s digital infrastructure. Explore real threats and how to build resilience before disaster strikes.

China’s Assassin’s Mace Weapons: 6 Threats to U.S. Digital Infrastructure

Discover the tools China will use to cripple our infrastructure before a single bullet is fired.

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The Hidden Weapons That Could Plunge America Into Digital Darkness

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Imagine a surgeon in Shanghai saving a patient's life in Xinjiang from 2,000 miles away (the equivalent distance from DC to LA) using remote robotics that cannot afford even milliseconds of latency or connection failure. This isn't science fiction; it happened in China last year.Now imagine the opposite: a cascading failure scenario where digital infrastructure collapse triggers widespread outages, followed by social disorder, and ultimately leaves America vulnerable when we need our systems most.These two futures frame the stark choice facing everyone responsible for building America's digital backbone.<h2>After Connectivity: The Next Great Challenge</h2>For years, the broadband community has focused on a critical mission: connecting the unconnected. As state broadband offices get ready to deploy historic BEAD funding and utilities expand their digital footprints, we're making real progress on closing the digital divide.But what happens after we connect everyone? What happens when the systems we've all worked so hard to build face unprecedented stress from natural disasters, deliberate attacks, or cascading technical failures?The hard truth: most of our digital infrastructure wasn't built to withstand serious disruption. When digital systems fail during crises they can leave communities stranded precisely when they need connectivity most.<h2>Why Our Digital Systems Are More Fragile Than We Think</h2>When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, it destroyed the majority of the island's cellular sites. According to the FCC, over 90% of cell sites were out of service immediately after the hurricane made landfall, and although some service was restored in the following weeks, nearly half of the island still lacked connectivity two weeks later. The outages lasted for months in some areas, leaving communities unable to communicate or access emergency information precisely when they needed these services most.This story repeats in new ways each time disaster strikes America, revealing a fundamental truth: our digital infrastructure has a hidden fragility problem.To understand why, think of all digital services as sitting on a three-legged stool:<ul><li>Transmission: The networks that connect everything (fiber, wireless, satellite)</li><li>Processing: The computing systems that make information useful (data centers, edge computing)</li><li>Storage: The systems that preserve critical data when it's needed most</li></ul>Just like a real stool, if any leg fails, the whole thing collapses. And here's what keeps us up at night: our current approach to building digital infrastructure puts all three legs at risk simultaneously.<h2>The Full Spectrum of Threats</h2>While natural disasters reveal our infrastructure's fragility, they're just the beginning of what these systems must withstand. The threat landscape broadband and utility leaders must now navigate includes:<ul><li>Natural Disasters: Increasingly frequent severe weather events that destroy physical infrastructure</li><li>Physical Threats: From accidental fiber cuts to deliberate sabotage of key transmission points</li><li>Cyber Attacks: Sophisticated digital intrusions that target the logical layer of infrastructure</li><li>Electromagnetic Disruptions: From solar flares to more directed threats that can disable electronics</li><li>Supply Chain Risks: Critical dependencies on components that may be compromised or unavailable</li></ul>Understanding these patterns is the first step to building systems that can withstand them.<h2>Future-Proofing America's Digital Backbone</h2>So how do we create digital infrastructure that survives when everything else fails? What principles should guide our investments in the next generation of connectivity?Our comprehensive white paper on Resilient Digital Infrastructure provides a detailed roadmap. The paper outlines four key principles for resilient infrastructure, presents compelling economic analysis showing why resilience is a sound business decision, and offers a phased implementation plan specifically designed for state broadband leaders and utility operators.<a href="/resilient-digital-infrastructure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Download the full white paper to explore our comprehensive resilience framework, economic analysis, and implementation roadmap.&nbsp;</a>The future of America's digital infrastructure depends on the decisions we make today, and the time to build resilience is now, before the next crisis proves how fragile our systems truly are.

Discover why America's digital infrastructure must evolve beyond basic connectivity. Learn how to build resilient systems that can survive disasters, cyberattacks, and more—before the next crisis exposes our vulnerabilities.

Beyond Connectivity: Building Digital Infrastructure That Survives When All Else Fails

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This post is adapted from an original piece by broadband expert Dustin Loup, published by Benton. For a deeper dive into how to implement these changes while keeping BEAD progress on track, <a href="https://www.benton.org/blog/trust-states-move-bead-forward-without-disruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">read the full article here</a>.<h2>Let States Lead: Keeping BEAD on Track</h2>Over the past two years, state broadband offices (SBOs) have worked tirelessly to ensure BEAD funding is deployed efficiently, expanding access to unserved communities while prioritizing scalable, future-proof networks.But recently proposed changes introduced by the SPEED for BEAD Act and signaled by the Department of Commerce threaten to derail this progress. These modifications risk delaying implementation, limiting state flexibility, and weakening BEAD’s overall impact.To achieve the program’s mission, we believe that any changes should accelerate deployment, not force states to backtrack.<h2>BEAD’s State-Led Process is Working</h2>From the start, BEAD was designed to avoid the pitfalls of past broadband funding programs by prioritizing accuracy, oversight, and efficiency. The FCC’s National Broadband Map now provides a more precise, location-based assessment of service availability, and states have conducted rigorous challenge processes to ensure funding reaches truly unserved areas. Instead of defaulting to the lowest-cost option, states are prioritizing high-quality, scalable networks that will meet future needs.This commitment to smart infrastructure investment has been reinforced through extensive public engagement, with broadband offices gathering input from local communities, providers, and other stakeholders. States have also streamlined grant allocation by implementing pre-qualification requirements, reducing administrative hurdles and ensuring a smoother selection process.These efforts are already delivering impressive results. Forty-seven states have completed the challenge process, and 34 have begun selecting subgrantees. Among the states that have released Round 1 data, participation is strong, competition is high, and cost-efficiency is evident in several early examples:<ul><li>Arkansas: 98% of eligible locations received bids, with 82% seeing 2+ bids.</li><li>Indiana: 94% of locations covered, with 82% receiving multiple bids.</li><li>Virginia: 2,000+ applications from 24 providers, covering 92% of eligible locations.</li><li>Delaware, Louisiana, and Nevada have achieved near-universal coverage with fiber-optic projects optimized for cost-efficiency.</li></ul><h2>The Risks of Changing BEAD Midstream</h2>Despite BEAD’s effectiveness, new legislative and administrative proposals could disrupt implementation. Any proposed changes must be carefully evaluated to ensure they do not:<ul><li>Require state plans to be overhauled.</li><li>Alter location eligibility, scoring, or subgrantee selection.</li><li>Force states to restart or delay their programs.</li><li>Introduce legal risks.</li></ul>If a proposed change triggers any of these concerns, it must be avoided, or implemented with precision to prevent unnecessary disruption. Some of the proposed changes that present the greatest risk to BEAD include:<h2>1. Redefining “Reliable Broadband Service”</h2>Expanding the definition of reliable broadband service may sound beneficial, but doing so without careful planning could introduce major setbacks. States have spent months refining challenge data to ensure accuracy. Any changes should:<ul><li>Preserve the integrity of existing challenge process data.</li><li>Prevent disruptions to subgrantee selection already in progress.</li><li>Maintain symmetrical speed requirements for critical institutions like schools and hospitals.</li><li>Ensure cost-efficiency without compromising long-term network quality.</li></ul><h2>2. Removing Incentives for Affordable Pricing</h2>The SPEED for BEAD Act proposes banning price as a consideration in grant selection. Currently, every state evaluates applications based on affordability to keep broadband accessible. If this change is implemented:<ul><li>It could remove incentives for providers to offer lower-cost options.</li><li>States may be forced to overhaul selection criteria, delaying implementation.</li><li>Higher consumer costs could result, reducing broadband adoption in underserved areas.</li></ul><h2>3. Prohibiting Subgrantee Award Conditions</h2>Preventing states from enforcing bid scoring and reporting requirements could create inconsistency and delays. States have designed rigorous, transparent selection processes, and changing the rules midstream could:<ul><li>Lead to legal challenges from providers who applied under different conditions.</li><li>Reduce competition by discouraging provider participation.</li><li>Disrupt ongoing selection processes, delaying broadband expansion.</li></ul><h2>4. Imposing a Per-Location Spending Cap</h2>A federally mandated spending cap could force states to prioritize cheaper, lower-quality broadband solutions over more effective, future-proof options. States have optimized their funding to balance cost and coverage. A rigid, or overly restrictive cap could:<ul><li>Undermine states’ ability to deploy the best long-term solutions, particularly in rural areas.</li><li>Disrupt ongoing projects that were designed under existing budget models.</li><li>Delay broadband expansion by forcing states to rework funding allocations.</li></ul><h2>Keeping BEAD on Track</h2>BEAD’s success depends on trusting the states to execute their plans. Any legislative or administrative modifications must enhance, rather than hinder, progress, allowing states to maintain momentum and deliver on the promise of universal broadband access.The path forward is clear: Let states lead, keep BEAD on track, and ensure broadband expansion continues without unnecessary obstacles.

Explore why states must lead the way on BEAD implementation and how federal changes could stall broadband progress.

Trust the States: Move BEAD Forward Without Disruption

Federal shifts could slow BEAD deployments. Learn why states must stay in the lead and what disruptions could mean for broadband progress.

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The numbers tell a stark story about America's digital divide. Despite being a global technology leader, millions of Americans still lack access to reliable high-speed internet – a basic utility that has become essential for education, healthcare, work, and daily life. This gap represents more than just a technological challenge; it's a fundamental barrier to economic opportunity and social equity in the 21st century.Enter the Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) Program, a historic $42.5 billion federal investment designed to close this gap. While the program's scale is unprecedented, its success hinges on effective implementation at the state level. This is where Louisiana's story becomes particularly instructive. By partnering with Ready.net and leveraging their purpose-built software, Louisiana was able to transform their implementation approach.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/pelican_1_e0d466defe/pelican_1_e0d466defe.png"></figure>&nbsp;<h2>The Challenge: Making BEAD Work</h2>State broadband offices face a daunting task: they must evaluate hundreds of applications, manage complex funding allocations, and ensure fair competition while maintaining strict accountability for federal funds. Traditional manual processes can take months or even years, potentially delaying critical infrastructure deployment to communities in need.Louisiana's Office of Broadband Development &amp; Connectivity (ConnectLA) took a different approach. Established in spring 2021, the office learned valuable lessons from its initial GUMBO 1.0 grant program and recognized that BEAD's larger scale would require innovative solutions.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/pelican_2_5f02d7c6ce/pelican_2_5f02d7c6ce.png"></figure>&nbsp;<h2>Louisiana's Solution: Automation and Transparency</h2>Ready.net developed a comprehensive automated system for ConnectLA to manage BEAD implementation, providing the state with purpose-built software specifically designed for broadband programs. This wasn't just about using technology for technology's sake – Ready's platform created a scalable, transparent process that could handle the program's complexity while maintaining both speed and accuracy.The results were remarkable:<ul><li>The automated deconfliction process completed statewide review in just 5 days</li><li>The system processed over 700 applications across two rounds</li><li>The process prevented manual review of 250% more locations</li></ul>92% of locations were resolved through automated deconfliction enabled by Ready.net. Going forward, more states will be able to use Ready’s tools to handle automated deoconfliction, precluding the need for large, expensive teams.&nbsp;But perhaps most importantly, Louisiana's approach built trust through transparency. Every step of the process generated public data that could be independently verified. This transparency didn't just improve accountability – it actively prevented potential litigation by allowing stakeholders to validate results themselves.The Impact: Numbers That MatterLouisiana's implementation of BEAD has generated impressive results:<ul><li>140,000 locations will receive expanded broadband connectivity</li><li>95.4% of locations will receive fiber-based solutions</li><li>$623 million in total BEAD funding has been effectively allocated</li><li>The competitive process reduced funding requests by 19% between rounds</li></ul>Beyond these direct outcomes, the program is expected to generate:<ul><li>10,000 new jobs</li><li>$3 billion in revenue increases for Louisiana companies</li><li>60,000 rural households brought online</li><li>28,000 businesses brought online, including many small enterprises</li></ul><figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/pelican_3_60b97296cc/pelican_3_60b97296cc.png"></figure>&nbsp;<h2>Key Elements of Success</h2>Louisiana's success wasn't accidental. Several critical elements combined to make their approach effective:<h3>1. Sleek Program Design</h3>Utilizing Ready.net's innovative platform, instead of creating cumbersome application processes, ConnectLA opted for minimalist pre-qualification requirements and flexible project areas. They published clear funding benchmarks and let their automated systems handle the complex work of deconfliction and evaluation.<h3>2. Diverse Participation</h3>The program attracted a healthy mix of providers:<ul><li>78% small wireline providers</li><li>17% large wireline carriers</li><li>5% wireless/LEO providers</li></ul>This diversity ensured competitive bidding while maintaining high standards for service delivery.<h3>3. Financial Innovation</h3>The program's design included front-loaded disbursements and streamlined administrative processes, reducing barriers to participation while maintaining accountability.&nbsp;<h2>Lessons for Other States</h2>Louisiana's experience offers several key lessons for other states implementing BEAD:<ol><li>Automation is Essential Manual processes simply can't scale to handle BEAD's complexity efficiently. Ready.net's software platform proved essential for Louisiana's success, enabling the state to process applications and manage deployments at a scale that would have been impossible with traditional methods. Automated systems not only speed up implementation but also reduce errors and improve consistency. &nbsp;</li><li>Transparency Promotes Efficiency By making data public and processes verifiable, states can build trust and prevent costly delays from challenges or litigation. &nbsp;</li><li>Competition Works Louisiana's approach generated significant cost savings through competitive bidding while maintaining high standards for service delivery. &nbsp;</li><li>Design Matters Thoughtful program design that minimizes bureaucracy while maximizing accountability can attract more participants and better outcomes.</li></ol>&nbsp;<h2>Looking Forward</h2>Louisiana's implementation of BEAD demonstrates that with the right approach, states can efficiently manage complex broadband deployment programs while maintaining high standards and accountability. Their success provides a clear roadmap for other states facing similar challenges.The digital divide remains a significant national challenge, but Louisiana's experience shows that BEAD, when properly implemented with automated systems and transparent processes, can effectively address this challenge. Through their partnership with Ready.net, Louisiana demonstrated how purpose-built software can transform broadband deployment programs. As other states begin their own BEAD implementations, Louisiana's model offers valuable lessons for turning federal funding into actual broadband deployment efficiently and effectively.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/pelican_4_a80268a4e6/pelican_4_a80268a4e6.png"></figure>

The $42.5 billion BEAD Program aims to close America’s digital divide, ensuring equitable access to high-speed internet. Louisiana demonstrates effective implementation through innovative approaches and strategic partnerships.

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Bridging the Pelican State’s Digital Divide: How Ready Enabled a Transparent, Automated Approach to Louisiana’s BEAD Implementation 

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<h1>Executive Summary</h1>When Mike Sanders walked into the Oklahoma Broadband Office in March 2023, he encountered a striking irony: the office tasked with deploying $1.3 billion in federal funds to expand broadband access across the state didn't have its own internet connection. This moment would come to symbolize both the scale of the challenge ahead and+<h2>Background and Context</h2><h3>Formation of the State Broadband Office</h3>The Oklahoma Broadband Office emerged from a legislative mandate to achieve 95% broadband coverage across the state. At the time Sanders assumed leadership, the FCC reported Oklahoma's coverage at 85%, with approximately 170,000 locations remaining unserved or underserved. The office faced a unique position in Oklahoma's governmental structure - operating as what Sanders describes as a "chameleon" agency. While required to follow state procurement rules and procedures, the office operates entirely on federal funding without state appropriations, creating both challenges and opportunities in its operations.<h3>Initial State of Operations</h3>The office began with just three remote employees and minimal infrastructure. There were no established procedures, policies, or even basic office necessities. Sanders recalls, "We were asked to build broadband with glue and toothpicks." This starting point emphasized the need for rapid but thoughtful organizational development.<h2>Leadership Philosophy and Approach</h2>Sanders brought a unique perspective to the role, shaped by his background in public service. Initially hesitant due to limited broadband expertise, he was drawn to the position by its potential impact on rural communities. "I'm a big picture guy," Sanders explains. "And I know what this is going to mean for Oklahomans, for generations to come."His leadership approach emphasizes:<ul><li>Pragmatic problem-solving</li><li>Transparent communication</li><li>Strong stakeholder relationships</li><li>Bipartisan cooperation, exemplified by his motto: "This isn't a red issue. This is not a blue issue. This is a red, white and blue issue."</li></ul><h2>Organizational Development and Capacity Building</h2>Under Sanders' leadership, the office underwent a rapid transformation from three remote employees to a fully-staffed agency of 21 professionals. This expansion included critical roles in:<ul><li>Grants management</li><li>Financial operations</li><li>GIS analysis</li><li>Legal counsel (requiring new legislation)</li><li>Communications and outreach</li><li>Technical support</li></ul>The growth wasn't just numerical - it represented a fundamental shift from what Sanders describes as the "wild wild west" to a structured organization with clear policies and procedures. This transformation was essential for managing the substantial federal funding entrusted to the office.<h2>Program Implementation and Early Successes</h2><h3>ARPA Funding Distribution</h3>One of the office's first major initiatives was the distribution of $374 million in ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The program achieved significant geographic coverage, with projects in 55 of Oklahoma's 77 counties. Currently, 54 of the 130 announced projects are under construction, positioning the state well to meet the December 2026 deadline.<h3>Strategic Infrastructure Development</h3>Recognizing gaps in the state's broadband infrastructure, the office allocated $35 million for middle-mile projects - a strategic decision to enable future last-mile deployments and strengthen the backbone of Oklahoma's broadband network. This investment was designed to support both current projects and upcoming BEAD program implementations.<h3>Capital Projects Fund Success</h3>In September 2024, the office announced that it was allocated approximately $158 million in CPF funds, supporting 50 projects across 12 Internet Service Providers. These projects, combined with $109 million in matching funds from ISPs, will connect approximately 28,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses to high-speed internet.<h2>Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships</h2><h3>Tribal Relations</h3>A critical component of the office's success has been its comprehensive engagement with Oklahoma's 39 federally recognized tribes. Despite complex jurisdictional challenges and disputed boundaries, the office prioritized reaching out to all tribal nations, recognizing their essential role in achieving universal broadband access.<h3>State and Federal Coordination</h3>The office navigates a unique position between state and federal requirements. Sanders' experience as a former state legislator has proved valuable in educating stakeholders about the office's federal funding structure while maintaining productive relationships with state leadership.<h2>Looking Forward: The BEAD Program and Beyond</h2>The office is taking an innovative approach to BEAD implementation through its "Network Expansion Territories" (NETs) strategy, and will draw project areas that combine both appealing and high-cost regions, ensuring more equitable coverage.Sanders maintains a pragmatic approach to technology solutions, estimating that while the majority of BEAD connections will be fiber, alternative technologies like licensed fixed wireless and satellite will play crucial roles in reaching the most challenging locations. This flexibility aligns with the office's goal of achieving universal access while being mindful of cost-effectiveness.<h2>Results and Impact</h2><h3>Quantitative Achievements</h3>In 2024 alone, the Oklahoma Broadband Office, working in partnership with ISPs, directed $625 million toward broadband infrastructure - marking the largest single-year investment in the state's history. This progress is visible in communities across Oklahoma, with Sanders noting that residents are seeing "tangible items... the orange spools of fiber and the conduit" - physical evidence of progress despite temporary construction inconveniences.<h3>Progress Toward Coverage Goals</h3>While the FCC currently reports 85% coverage across Oklahoma, the office is on track to exceed its legislative mandate of 95% coverage, with Sanders confident they'll "go north of that" once CPF and BEAD implementations are complete. This progress represents meaningful change in communities that previously lacked any high-speed internet access.<h2>Lessons Learned and Best Practices</h2><h3>Building from the Ground Up</h3><ol><li>Balance Immediate Action with Long-term Planning: The office demonstrated how to simultaneously handle urgent operational needs while building robust frameworks for future programs. Rather than taking a sequential approach, Sanders' team developed comprehensive strategies for multiple funding streams (ARPA, CPF, BEAD) while building internal capacity and maintaining stakeholder relationships. This parallel processing approach enabled the office to meet immediate deadlines while preparing for future opportunities.</li><li>Focus on People, Policies, and Procedures: Sanders emphasizes these three elements as crucial to the office's success, noting that establishing proper frameworks and hiring the right team members created a foundation for effective program implementation.</li></ol><h3>Program Implementation Strategies</h3><ul><li>Take a measured approach to challenges: Sanders advocates for "continuing to block and tackle until we're told not to," rather than becoming paralyzed by uncertainty about federal programs or regulations.</li><li>Maintain flexibility in technology solutions: While prioritizing fiber deployment, the office remains open to alternative technologies for very high-cost, last-resort locations.</li><li>Focus on sustainable progress: The office has structured its programs to maintain workforce continuity across different funding sources, from ARPA through BEAD implementation.</li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2>The Oklahoma Broadband Office's journey from a three-person remote team to a fully-functional agency managing over a billion dollars in federal funds demonstrates the importance of leadership, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement in successful broadband deployment. Sanders' vision of the program's generational impact is perhaps best captured in his own words: "I get chills when I talk about what we're doing because I know that in ten, 20 years we're going to have our hand on history... The kids and grandkids of people I see at ribbon-cutting events in rural Oklahoma, they're going to be part of something so special and so unique."The office's success in rapidly building capacity, establishing effective procedures, and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships while managing complex federal programs offers valuable lessons for other state broadband offices. Their experience demonstrates that with proper leadership and organizational development, even offices starting from minimal resources can effectively manage large-scale broadband deployment programs.Most significantly, the office's work extends beyond mere infrastructure deployment - it represents a transformation in Oklahoma's digital landscape that promises to enhance healthcare, education, tourism, and economic development for generations to come.<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfMs8ERR3pWovIcBK_LlNij4CZr8cDwlJw5Id3UQfGvhDkkIwLA7WsGBajIvlX0g_hexBDkEK80wHJto0anAtw4WDmGAvmKyjDP3Qsy_ktQQgvHtFeEqjV7r60cx7XOZEQlmNIbIA?key=wOSKkWuqkTxxerE1S0W7YGPA">

The Oklahoma Broadband Office, led by Mike Sanders, has rapidly transformed from a three-person team with no internet connection into a powerhouse managing over $1.3 billion in federal funds to expand broadband across the state.

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Leadership and Innovation: The Oklahoma Broadband Office Path to Success

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<h1>Executive Summary</h1>When Mike Sanders walked into the Oklahoma Broadband Office in March 2023, he encountered a striking irony: the office tasked with deploying $1.3 billion in federal funds to expand broadband access across the state didn't have its own internet connection. This moment would come to symbolize both the scale of the challenge ahead and the office's remarkable journey from humble beginnings to implementing the largest broadband expansion in Oklahoma's history.<h2>Background and Context</h2><h3>Formation of the State Broadband Office</h3>The Oklahoma Broadband Office emerged from a legislative mandate to achieve 95% broadband coverage across the state. At the time Sanders assumed leadership, the FCC reported Oklahoma's coverage at 85%, with approximately 170,000 locations remaining unserved or underserved. The office faced a unique position in Oklahoma's governmental structure - operating as what Sanders describes as a "chameleon" agency. While required to follow state procurement rules and procedures, the office operates entirely on federal funding without state appropriations, creating both challenges and opportunities in its operations.<h3>Initial State of Operations</h3>The office began with just three remote employees and minimal infrastructure. There were no established procedures, policies, or even basic office necessities. Sanders recalls, "We were asked to build broadband with glue and toothpicks." This starting point emphasized the need for rapid but thoughtful organizational development.<h2>Leadership Philosophy and Approach</h2>Sanders brought a unique perspective to the role, shaped by his background in public service. Initially hesitant due to limited broadband expertise, he was drawn to the position by its potential impact on rural communities. "I'm a big picture guy," Sanders explains. "And I know what this is going to mean for Oklahomans, for generations to come."His leadership approach emphasizes:<ul><li>Pragmatic problem-solving</li><li>Transparent communication</li><li>Strong stakeholder relationships</li><li>Bipartisan cooperation, exemplified by his motto: "This isn't a red issue. This is not a blue issue. This is a red, white and blue issue."</li></ul><h2>Organizational Development and Capacity Building</h2>Under Sanders' leadership, the office underwent a rapid transformation from three remote employees to a fully-staffed agency of 21 professionals. This expansion included critical roles in:<ul><li>Grants management</li><li>Financial operations</li><li>GIS analysis</li><li>Legal counsel (requiring new legislation)</li><li>Communications and outreach</li><li>Technical support</li></ul>The growth wasn't just numerical - it represented a fundamental shift from what Sanders describes as the "wild wild west" to a structured organization with clear policies and procedures. This transformation was essential for managing the substantial federal funding entrusted to the office.<h2>Program Implementation and Early Successes</h2><h3>ARPA Funding Distribution</h3>One of the office's first major initiatives was the distribution of $374 million in ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The program achieved significant geographic coverage, with projects in 55 of Oklahoma's 77 counties. Currently, 54 of the 130 announced projects are under construction, positioning the state well to meet the December 2026 deadline.<h3>Strategic Infrastructure Development</h3>Recognizing gaps in the state's broadband infrastructure, the office allocated $35 million for middle-mile projects - a strategic decision to enable future last-mile deployments and strengthen the backbone of Oklahoma's broadband network. This investment was designed to support both current projects and upcoming BEAD program implementations.<h3>Capital Projects Fund Success</h3>In September 2024, the office announced that it was allocated approximately $158 million in CPF funds, supporting 50 projects across 12 Internet Service Providers. These projects, combined with $109 million in matching funds from ISPs, will connect approximately 28,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses to high-speed internet.<h2>Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships</h2><h3>Tribal Relations</h3>A critical component of the office's success has been its comprehensive engagement with Oklahoma's 39 federally recognized tribes. Despite complex jurisdictional challenges and disputed boundaries, the office prioritized reaching out to all tribal nations, recognizing their essential role in achieving universal broadband access.<h3>State and Federal Coordination</h3>The office navigates a unique position between state and federal requirements. Sanders' experience as a former state legislator has proved valuable in educating stakeholders about the office's federal funding structure while maintaining productive relationships with state leadership.<h2>Looking Forward: The BEAD Program and Beyond</h2>The office is taking an innovative approach to BEAD implementation through its "Network Expansion Territories" (NETs) strategy, and will draw project areas that combine both appealing and high-cost regions, ensuring more equitable coverage.Sanders maintains a pragmatic approach to technology solutions, estimating that while the majority of BEAD connections will be fiber, alternative technologies like licensed fixed wireless and satellite will play crucial roles in reaching the most challenging locations. This flexibility aligns with the office's goal of achieving universal access while being mindful of cost-effectiveness.<h2>Results and Impact</h2><h3>Quantitative Achievements</h3>In 2024 alone, the Oklahoma Broadband Office, working in partnership with ISPs, directed $625 million toward broadband infrastructure - marking the largest single-year investment in the state's history. This progress is visible in communities across Oklahoma, with Sanders noting that residents are seeing "tangible items... the orange spools of fiber and the conduit" - physical evidence of progress despite temporary construction inconveniences.<h3>Progress Toward Coverage Goals</h3>While the FCC currently reports 85% coverage across Oklahoma, the office is on track to exceed its legislative mandate of 95% coverage, with Sanders confident they'll "go north of that" once CPF and BEAD implementations are complete. This progress represents meaningful change in communities that previously lacked any high-speed internet access.<h2>Lessons Learned and Best Practices</h2><h3>Building from the Ground Up</h3><ol><li>Balance Immediate Action with Long-term Planning: The office demonstrated how to simultaneously handle urgent operational needs while building robust frameworks for future programs. Rather than taking a sequential approach, Sanders' team developed comprehensive strategies for multiple funding streams (ARPA, CPF, BEAD) while building internal capacity and maintaining stakeholder relationships. This parallel processing approach enabled the office to meet immediate deadlines while preparing for future opportunities.</li><li>Focus on People, Policies, and Procedures: Sanders emphasizes these three elements as crucial to the office's success, noting that establishing proper frameworks and hiring the right team members created a foundation for effective program implementation.</li></ol><ul><li>Take a measured approach to challenges: Sanders advocates for "continuing to block and tackle until we're told not to," rather than becoming paralyzed by uncertainty about federal programs or regulations.</li><li>Maintain flexibility in technology solutions: While prioritizing fiber deployment, the office remains open to alternative technologies for very high-cost, last-resort locations.</li><li>Focus on sustainable progress: The office has structured its programs to maintain workforce continuity across different funding sources, from ARPA through BEAD implementation.</li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2>The Oklahoma Broadband Office's journey from a three-person remote team to a fully-functional agency managing over a billion dollars in federal funds demonstrates the importance of leadership, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement in successful broadband deployment. Sanders' vision of the program's generational impact is perhaps best captured in his own words: "I get chills when I talk about what we're doing because I know that in ten, 20 years we're going to have our hand on history... The kids and grandkids of people I see at ribbon-cutting events in rural Oklahoma, they're going to be part of something so special and so unique."The office's success in rapidly building capacity, establishing effective procedures, and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships while managing complex federal programs offers valuable lessons for other state broadband offices. Their experience demonstrates that with proper leadership and organizational development, even offices starting from minimal resources can effectively manage large-scale broadband deployment programs.Most significantly, the office's work extends beyond mere infrastructure deployment - it represents a transformation in Oklahoma's digital landscape that promises to enhance healthcare, education, tourism, and economic development for generations to come.<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfMs8ERR3pWovIcBK_LlNij4CZr8cDwlJw5Id3UQfGvhDkkIwLA7WsGBajIvlX0g_hexBDkEK80wHJto0anAtw4WDmGAvmKyjDP3Qsy_ktQQgvHtFeEqjV7r60cx7XOZEQlmNIbIA?key=wOSKkWuqkTxxerE1S0W7YGPA">

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Louisiana's approach to implementing BEAD offers valuable lessons for other states trying to save BEAD and get their funding deployed to their communities in need. Through careful program design and innovative implementation strategies, ConnectLA has achieved remarkable results while maintaining cost efficiency and promoting competition.At the heart of their success was a bidding structure that leveraged behavioral economics to drive down costs. By creating a two-round process where almost no awards were made in the first round, providers had to knuckle down and reduce costs by approximately 20% in the second round. This approach, combined with small project areas averaging 75 locations each, allowed providers to build flexible applications that included combinations of project areas that made fiscal sense while also ensuring comprehensive coverage.<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdrCeFkadeEFS0jUsRrY5NT1WqbfZwpNoGZglcmbnTnhL5Ya2_Ac4QycWjhKQj1TSSRxIIebPhz0ZTPnh5ESgMF8PTiz1Wify9xCAtNPgVqav7RcJnM39bqrk3wRMq3TaV6iBXUgg?key=nb7ui4lnBEtFj1Yl-BN5hgwa">ConnectLA’s administrative approach aimed to minimize bureaucracy by prioritizing efficiency. They did this by streamlining the early stages of the application process without sacrificing accountability in the final stages. Rather than requiring extensive documentation upfront, they allowed applicants to qualify with minimal initial requirements, only requiring full documentation from winning bidders. This reduced barriers to entry while maintaining program integrity.&nbsp;The office also made several elements of the program clear up-front to incentivize participation and competition – allowing consortiums to apply together but receive separate award agreements, published benchmark funding amounts per project area and using fixed subawards with front-loaded payments to help smaller providers manage cash flow.The results speak volumes: 95% of locations will receive fiber-to-the-home service, with local providers winning approximately 75% of the funding despite no in-state preference. The entire process from initial bidding to preliminary awards took just six weeks, demonstrating that efficiency and thoroughness aren't mutually exclusive.<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe05a4xQdOFCnZrKD5SqYus1Hs5NibLkFi8v19iry7ehHvfX03iFdlLb_wcx8toKky6bqRDxBhCFRX3j02uUty7GdPjjRxwxSscRg-6-TaJ3DzT8YjpwcrJ43ewSOj593VjE9JIDQ?key=nb7ui4lnBEtFj1Yl-BN5hgwa">Perhaps most tellingly, the competitive nature of the process was so robust that even winning bidders expressed disappointment at not winning more areas – a fact that the ConnectLA office says reflects the impartiality and competitive nature of their program. This healthy competition helped ConnectLA achieve their coverage goals while maintaining cost discipline, with prices generally tracking CostQuest estimates until reaching the most topographically challenging and isolated locations.For states currently designing their BEAD implementation strategies, Louisiana's experience suggests focusing on creating flexible, provider-friendly processes while maintaining strong competitive pressure. By combining streamlined administration with smart program design, states can achieve both universal coverage and cost efficiency in their broadband deployment efforts.

Louisiana’s BEAD program achieved 95% fiber-to-home coverage in six weeks by combining competitive bidding, streamlined administration, and provider-friendly processes. See how their approach offers a model for cost-effective, universal broadband deployment.

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How Louisiana Will FINISH BEAD

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<h3>Giving Broadband Directors the Bird's-Eye View They Deserve</h3>State broadband directors aren't just managing grant applications – they're architecting the future of connectivity in their states. It's like having the world's most complex Light World/Dark World map to navigate, except instead of searching for Moon Pearls and Master Swords, you're tracking the status of thousands of households while switching between layers of federal requirements and local needs. While charting this critical quest for your state, the last thing you need is to hunt through multiple systems just to get a clear picture of your BEAD Program status.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Map2_76a8fe2177/Map2_76a8fe2177.png"></figure>Enter the Director's Dashboard (affectionately known as "Mission Control"), the newest addition to Ready.net's purpose-built suite of broadband solutions. Think of it as your command center, minus the Hollywood-style wall of flickering screens and ominous red buttons.<h3>Open Your Aperture&nbsp;</h3>What makes Mission Control special? It's the difference between looking through a keyhole and standing atop a mountain. In one unified view, directors can:<ul><li>Track the status of every broadband serviceable location (served, funded, underserved, or unserved)</li><li>Monitor challenge process metrics and types</li><li>Process progress, financial and compliance reports</li><li>Overview BEAD applications, including funding requests and match commitments</li><li>Dive deeper and explore any aspect of their program that needs attention</li></ul><figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Director_Dashboard_2_02f861d278/Director_Dashboard_2_02f861d278.png"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Director_Dashboard_3_1d37f28aa1/Director_Dashboard_3_1d37f28aa1.png"></figure><h3>Bring the Correct Quest Items</h3>But here's the thing – Mission Control isn't just a dashboard. It's an integrated tool in Ready.net's end-to-end ecosystem of software designed specifically for the unique challenges of state broadband offices. Because let's face it, managing a multi-million dollar broadband infrastructure program shouldn't feel like trying to solve the Ice Palace with the wrong item loadout – off-the-shelf software just wasn't made for this quest. &nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Menu_Screen_d14ae33524/Menu_Screen_d14ae33524.png"></figure>Your adventure to connect every household deserves purpose-built quest items that understand the complexity of BEAD programs and the importance of your work. Because when it comes to shaping the future of connectivity in your state, "good enough" simply will not cut it…<h3>Ready to Start Your Quest?</h3>Like any hero, you need the right equipment for the journey ahead. Schedule a demo of Mission Control today and see how it can illuminate your path forward.

The Director's Dashboard brings clarity to your broadband quest in one unified command center.

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A Link to Your State

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As light shines at the dawn of artificial intelligence, we’re already seeing transformation underway in nearly every sector. How might the government offices and agencies who work with utilities like broadband, energy & water benefit from the transformation?

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Agents for Agencies

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State broadband offices have had a busy 2024 juggling challenge processes, preparing for an onslaught of BEAD applications, stakeholder engagement and many more issues thrown at their mighty, but often small teams.&nbsp;Going forward, states should protect their legacy of success by ensuring that the five pitfalls of geospatial grant administration are avoided. These pitfalls are:<h3>1. Fragmented tools → fragmented results</h3>Offices that try to build in-house tools or repurpose off-the-shelf software built for very different purposes tend to see heavily fragmented workflows and heavily fragmented program outcomes. Your success depends on your vision being enforced throughout the full lifecycle of your program, which requires a holistic platform approach. &nbsp;<h3>2. GIS as an island&nbsp;</h3>Many offices deal with maps through the 1960's lens of GIS. They purchase exquisite GIS systems that spit out fancy maps with no real purpose beyond visual display. Success in your program requires integrated geospatial reasoning, not fancy maps. &nbsp;<h3>3. The myth of linear adjudication</h3>Approaching adjudication and deconfliction as linear processes that can be solved with manual effort leads to suboptimal outcomes at best and can be disastrous. Hundreds or even thousands of wasted hours can be one cost of this pitfall, and worse. Adjudication is a complex, non-linear, iterative process, ideally one your office carries out with participants over the course of your program. &nbsp;<h3>4. Audit-ready or not?</h3>Unhappy providers are already taking legal action against state offices. Sub-grantee audits by federal agencies are a given. Every step taken by every member of your office must be accounted for. Making sure you securely store all provider-submitted info, track all communications with providers, and having an audit trail of your program are keys to ensuring your office, and all of your sub-grantees are audit-ready. &nbsp;<h3>5. Post-award Hell</h3>Imagine not knowing where your program stands until a few months after sub-grantees submit self-reported, manually assembled reports. Either someone from your office or your consultant needs to chase down paperwork every few months, then spend dozens of hours processing results before you know whether or not you're on track.Now imagine knowing at a glance, in near real time, where your office stands across all of your programs, with no additional effort on your office's part.&nbsp;<h2>Here’s how you can avoid these pitfalls:&nbsp;</h2><h3>1. Use a purpose-built, single source of truth platform</h3>With the BEAD showdown on the horizon, state broadband offices cannot risk any threats to their progress, such as team changes, misplaced documents or shoddy mapping – which are the downstream consequences of purchasing off-the-shelf software that is not purpose built to tackle BEAD.The Ready State Platform allows for you to run your entire process from challenge to allocation inside a&nbsp;single&nbsp;platform. Through the platform, states will be able to build custom project areas and expand upon existing ones while also having a deconfliction &amp; adjudication engine that can be tailored to their specific visions.&nbsp;The platform’s built-in location revision feature allows SBOs to negotiate back and forth allowing for an ISP to “concede” or “expand” their project area allowing them to cover the entire area of another application or give up all of the conflicted locations.&nbsp; &nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/6cEBjBA.gif" width="800" height="449" alt="Director's Dashboard"></div>&nbsp;<h3>2. Integrate geospatial reasoning</h3>Under the BEAD program, state broadband offices face the Herculean task of ensuring that their state’s share of the $42.5 billion dollars leaves no family behind in broadband. To accomplish this, geospatial technology must be incorporated in every step of the grant administration process. Doing so ensures that locations are properly visualized, project areas are clearly defined and that their state’s mapping is the source of truth for the state’s broadband reality.The Ready State Platform incorporates geospatial technology into every step of the BEAD process. This means no more relying on spreadsheets and location files, but instead having a clear, easy-to-use mapping system throughout the process. &nbsp;<h3>3. Iterate to amazing</h3>Your office cannot afford to view adjudication as a one and done, fire and forget type of task. State broadband directors have to shift their perspective and view iterative adjudication as the best opportunity to ensure that families aren’t left behind on&nbsp; the wrong side of the digital divide.&nbsp;Using the State Platform, grantors can submit specific revision requests or file a bulk request to review the selection of an applicant’s serviceable areas, network design, project scope, budget, community impact, affordability, and certification certification.Having all of these functionalities on a single platform streamlines the process and allows for an iterative process with fewer opportunities for mis-inputs and miscommunications that could result in costly delays and missed opportunities; every change between versions is saved, thereby giving your office the ability to compare and track changes to better understand how applicants respond to your feedback.Ultimately, this will result in fewer locations being left behind, fewer wasted months of complex work between multiple platforms, and fewer potential audit failures and unforeseen legal risks for your office.&nbsp; &nbsp;<h3>4. Be ready to for an audit…or two</h3>The Ready State Platform ensures that states are federal audit-ready with numerous tools, including Proof of Passings in conjunction with the ongoing Challenge Process Coordinator map update.&nbsp;BEAD applicants will also undoubtedly have questions throughout the&nbsp;reviewing, scoring, deconfliction, and adjudication processes&nbsp;that must be answered quickly by their state broadband office. Effective communication is crucial for successful, data-driven state broadband offices.Your State Platform will grant the opportunity for you to seamlessly communicate with providers directly through the same platform guiding your BEAD process. This also means that your office will have a database of communication with each provider that can be referenced for customer success or strategic purposes in the future.&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Paperwork_vs_Real_Work_2_ec9dd452e5/Paperwork_vs_Real_Work_2_ec9dd452e5.jpg"></figure><h3>5. Automate reporting and compliance&nbsp;</h3>Attempting to manually adhere to reporting and compliance standards is a nonstarter. Offices have neither the luxury of time, the budget nor the manpower to do this work alone; reporting and compliance needs to be a seamless extension of reviewing, scoring, deconfliction, and adjudication.&nbsp;State broadband offices must hold all stakeholders to the highest standards of reporting and compliance. Throughout the BEAD process, states will face numerous federal audits and having a piecemeal program is a recipe for risk.&nbsp;States using the platform can ease the burden of reporting and compliance on both their office and providers while avoiding the market failure of previous broadband grant funding cycles.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Remember what’s at stake&nbsp;</h2>State broadband offices know what’s at stake for families relying on them to bring affordable, reliable broadband. BEAD is the country’s largest and arguably last major investment in broadband.&nbsp;In the Year of BEAD, states have accomplished so much towards this effort. Allowing the pitfalls of geospatial administration to erode this progress is an opportunity that neither states nor providers can afford.

Is your state making costly errors in BEAD grant administration?

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Avoiding pitfalls in geospatial grant administration

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<h2>New York State of BEAD</h2><div class="raw-html-embed"><div>
 <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/josh_zoom_3bc7d1e344/josh_zoom_3bc7d1e344.png" alt="NoFo Image" style="max-width: 370px; height: auto; float: right; margin-left: 24px;">
 Josh Breitbart’s office looks like a Zoom background. Except for the moving cars, you would swear it was one. 
 New York’s broadband lead is officially the Senior Vice President of ConnectALL, within New York’s chief economic development agency.
 While happy to talk with broadband.io, the New York broadband czar states that he would prefer that the story be about the governor as he says that ConnectALL is based on the governor's vision, with three central goals:
 <ul>
 <li>Make sure that there is broadband connectivity for every location in the state.</li>
 <li>Facilitate a robust broadband marketplace. </li>
 <li>Close the digital divide. Making sure that everybody not only has access to the infrastructure, but the ability to make use of it to achieve the outcomes of economic opportunity, health improvement, education, civic engagement, use of government services. </li>
 </ul>
 The New York broadband office (ConnectALL) team is a growing one with 19 employees currently. It is part of Empire State Development, the state’s economic development agency, working from offices in midtown Manhattan, Albany, and Utica.
 Breitbart says that the tagline for ConnectALL is ‘internet that works for New York. “Not only do we have it, but can people use it to do everything they need to, to thrive.”
</div></div><h2> Foundation for Success&nbsp;</h2>Breitbart explains that as soon as he took the reins in 2022, his first point of order was to uncover what the landscape looked like in terms of stakeholders and planning groups. He was pleasantly surprised to find that there was vast experience and lessons learned from past programs, “With a wide variety of partners at both the county and regional level who have been working on broadband for years, there’s a really strong foundation,” he says.&nbsp;This includes Empire State Development’s previous $500 million investment in broadband, which began in 2015, and counties that are part of federal organizations like the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Northern Border Regional Commission, both of which have been “providing funding for broadband planning or infrastructure for many years.”&nbsp;Many counties also have public or publicly controlled nonprofit regional fiber networks as well, bringing technical capabilities you would not normally find in communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Building with BEAD</h2>Because New York has regional planning councils and counties that have been working on broadband for years, they baked that into their proposed subgrantee program, ensuring that regional partners would provide capacity support and facilitate county participation. There are points in the scoring for letters of support. Both, explains Breitbart, are critically important as there's a need for greater capacity with BEAD. “We even have a regional local assistance grant program where governments in the state can apply for funds to be used as either capacity support or planning support,” says Breitbart.&nbsp;He explains that ConnectAll is hyper-focused on building for each stage of a potential process. “Ultimately, when an ISP is going to deploy into an area, we want the counties to be aware, involved, and engaged because that's what's going to make it successful, not just in the deployment stage, but in the uptake and making sure that these are successful businesses operating throughout the state.”Breitbart believes that the key to success is and will be local knowledge because each area of the state has such a wide variance. “New York is a fantastic state, and it's fantastic in its diversity in every respect, demographically, topographically, economically,” says Breitbart.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Billion with a B</h2>When added together, New York has a little more than $1.3 billion in funding to deliver universal access and close the digital divide. Specifically, that’s $664.6 million in BEAD, $345.5 million in CPF and, explains Breitbart, “We’re also very fortunate in that we have a state legislature, very committed, very supportive of the governor's vision for ConnectALL and has contributed $300 million of state funding. So, all in, ConnectALL is responsible for over $1.3 billion of public funds.”&nbsp;And in establishing Connect All, New York’s governor has announced five programs:&nbsp;<ul><li>The Affordable Housing Connectivity Program – A $100 million subsidy to bring broadband infrastructure to affordable and public housing.&nbsp;</li><li>The Municipal Infrastructure Program – $228 million in funding for public and publicly controlled infrastructure to connect ‘tens of thousands’ of homes.&nbsp;</li><li>The ConnectALL Deployment Program – These are the BEAD dollars, $664 million.&nbsp;</li><li>The Digital Equity Program, with a commitment of $50 million to address non-infrastructure barriers to internet adoption and use, drawing on an initial federal allocation of approximately $37 million.&nbsp;</li><li>Connectivity Innovation to advance new broadband solutions, technologies, and business models to meet the needs of rural and low-income communities in the state.&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;<h2>No Cherries left in the 2%&nbsp;</h2>The BEAD program, opines Breitbart, does not reward large states that have already made significant investments in connectivity. And that’s exactly where New York is, with less than 2% of the state left to connect. “By definition, what we have left to connect is the hardest of the hardest to connect. I am realistic about how difficult almost every single one of these locations is to reach.”&nbsp;So, in essence, while more than $650 million for less than 100K unserved and underserved might sound like a layup, New York will need to be strategic in how it sets its “extremely high cost per location threshold” to maximize the number of those locations that can be reached with a fiber connection.Breitbart believes that the incumbents, both large ISPs and small community networks want to connect everyone. He’s optimistic that the funding will be enough to connect everyone but acknowledges that “if there's any portion that's not doable through this program, then we'll keep working because that's the nature of ConnectALL.”“It's still an unprecedented level of federal support. So that gives me great optimism,” sats Breitbart. “We’re working with communities and companies that have experience reaching very hard-to-reach locations. I am hopeful because I know we've got good ISP partners.”&nbsp;New York is currently going back and forth to come to a conclusion on project areas, sharing iterations to get feedback from the public, ISPs, and regional and county partners. ConnectALL will not finalize the project areas until the final list of eligible locations is approved by NTIA following the state challenge process.&nbsp;<h2>New York’s Challenge Process&nbsp;</h2>New York went into the challenge process with approximately 95,000 BEAD eligible BSLs, as they’re presently wrapping up the adjudication phase of the challenge process, they plan to hand in the final count to the NTIA later this summer.&nbsp;Breitbart reiterates that ConnectALL is taking “the long view of the connectivity challenge and building the relationships that we need throughout the process. Local knowledge is so important because it really does require that level of local understanding.”“We have a beautiful tapestry of the stakeholders including communities and ISPs,” says Breitbart. “And right now we are in the pre-qualification phase of the application so we can get a good sense of which ISPs are ready to participate. They’re all very active and engaged, but will they respond to the opportunities?”&nbsp;With NTIA’s August 13 announcement of the Initial Proposal Volume Two approval, Breitbart says the grant application is on track to open in the Fall.The first round will be a green light for subgrantee applications that are for 100 percent of a given project area with full fiber. Possible future rounds will look at alternative coverage possibilities and alternative technologies. He anticipates awards beginning to be handed out in 2025, following NTIA approval of New York’s Final Proposal.&nbsp;<h2>New York Through and Through&nbsp;</h2>I ask every state broadband leader why they do this… if they hate themselves, love long hours, or are just gluttons for punishment.&nbsp;Breitbart smiles when I ask him “why” do this, to which he explains, “I truly love this state, and I have always been motivated by the power of communication and expanding the opportunity for people to communicate, to tell their stories, to come together and to act as a community. And the internet is the critical infrastructure of that.”&nbsp;He recounts a career dotted with nonprofits, technology projects, and even a study of the Philly WiFi project from two decades ago. As part of the DC think tank New America, he supported communities in Detroit and Philadelphia implement projects under the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.&nbsp; In 2015, Breitbart, whose family has been in the same neighborhood of Brooklyn for four generations, was thrilled to come back home and begin working in government at the local level in City Hall as part of New York’s Mayor’s Office. Ultimately, in 2022, he was appointed to the job he has now, one he calls a “dream opportunity because it was an opportunity to serve my community and my state.”“I just look at this as an opportunity to contribute, says Breitbart. “And that's what motivates all the people in this office is that we have that shared mission.”I’ve been part of non-profit organizations and been in mission-driven environments, but it's very different to be in government, and time and again, find a colleague who, if presented with the opportunity to do a bit more, to bring more benefit to the state, they'll take that opportunity,” expands Breitbart. “How could you not get up for that?”<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/joshua_podium_1_b805d83580/joshua_podium_1_b805d83580.jpeg"></figure>

New York’s ConnectALL initiative, led by Evan Breitbart, is using over $1.3 billion in funding to expand broadband access across the state. Discover how local knowledge and strategic planning are key to achieving universal connectivity.

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Meet Josh Breitbart

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<h2>Jim's South Carolina <s>Retirement</s> Adventure</h2>For someone with a big job, lofty expectations, and plenty of pressure, Jim Stritzinger (Director, SC Broadband Office) is way happier than he should be.&nbsp;The native of Delaware who fell in love with the state during childhood family vacations, is living his best life in The Palmetto State, running a team of six in Columbia.&nbsp;<h2>Stritzinger’s Prologue&nbsp;</h2>Near the turn of the millennium, Jim found his company being purchased, leading to the opportunity to move to Hilton Head, raise his girls, and play a lot of golf.&nbsp;&nbsp;He recalls that after eight years he did some self-reflection and realized that he was “living on a barrier island and my brain is still on fire.”&nbsp;After a variety of career hops, he became the Executive Director of non-profit Connect South Carolina in 2014 and noticed that… gasp… broadband maps were a collection of hyperbole, wishes, and lies. “I was an electrical engineer and a data geek with a hypothesis that the federal broadband maps were really awful. I knew many of the ISPs were significantly overstating their advertised speeds.”&nbsp;As an entrepreneur/engineer, the faulty maps continued to perturb him, so he decided to do something about it in 2019 when he got to work creating broadband maps with the assistance of Congressman Jim Clyburn, Ookla, his own expertise, as well as some common sense.&nbsp;The process for him started with ignoring advertised speeds and instead focusing on the broadband technology available per census block. For example, if one area was DSL, he deduced that instead of 25/3 Mbps, maybe they are getting 6/1 Mbps, at best. He took the best available technology in each census block, projected speeds, and produced the first iteration of a complete set of&nbsp;accurate South Carolina broadband maps.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/SC_Team_smaller_07c92bafbe/SC_Team_smaller_07c92bafbe.png"></figure><h2>With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility</h2>Stritzinger’s maps were catching on and landing him consulting contracts with local ISPs who paid&nbsp; him to map their own service territories. He describes what happened next as receiving his “dream phone call” came offering the SC state broadband post in March of 2021.&nbsp;The pandemic was the impetus, as Stritzinger says that the State of South Carolina had never invested “even a penny on broadband,”and was now allocating $50 million. This was broken up into $30 million designated for infrastructure, $20 million for hotspots for kids so they could do their homework, and what was left over to be used to stand up a broadband mapping effort.&nbsp;Created in July of 2021, the office is housed under the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff because, Stritzinger explains, it was the trusted place that had telecom background thanks to required oversight of South Carolina Universal Service Funds.&nbsp;<h2>From Zero to $1 Billion Hero</h2>It was a big change to go from zero dollars in June 2020 to where we stand today - over a billion dollars as of June 2023.“When I started, I was a single-person office inheriting a $30 million state grant program,” says Stritzinger. “Combine this with the South Carolina General Assembly allocating $400 million ARPA ($215 million SLFRF and $185 million CPF) in May of 2022, and in June 2023 a ~$551 million allocation of BEAD.”&nbsp;That’s a rapid change for a state that had never invested in broadband, says Stritzinger, “in less than two years, we go from zero to $30 million dollars, one-man broadband office to a full-time, six-person team with a billion-dollar budget.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>First Things First&nbsp;</h2>On June 30, Stritzinger and his team announced&nbsp;<a href="https://ors.sc.gov/news/scbbo-completes-historic-400-million-american-rescue-plan-commitment-connect-over-112380">the completion of its $400 million American Rescue Plan (ARPA) grant program.</a> In all, the grants will result in more than 13K miles of fiber that will serve 112,380 BSLs through 19 ISPs.Stritzinger explains that he and his team have been extremely thorough and meticulous with these grants to help ensure BSLs have enforceable commitments in place, “Every home that we fund with ARPA dollars is one less home that we need to fund for BEAD.”&nbsp;<h2>BEAD Begins&nbsp;</h2>Stritzinger explains that because South Carolina has lined up ARPA commitments, the BEAD Challenge Process includes these “enforceable commitments” and the BEAD Challenge is now complete.&nbsp;The enforceable commitments, predicts Stritzinger, will lower the number of BSLs that BEAD will need to reach and will be less than 32,000 total locations. For those keeping score at home (and for those who are alone), that’s ~$551 million for less than 32,000 locations. Stritzinger anticipates the 32K locations mostly getting fiber, save some extremely remote rural locations (i.e., barrier islands).&nbsp;As for South Carolina’s timeline for Volume 2 approval, Stritzinger notes that his office is in no hurry. In fact, he admits that “Candidly, we volunteered to be last. No state wants to be deploying ARPA dollars while at the same time trying to do BEAD. It's impossible.”More than just the strain running both ARPA and BEAD simultaneously puts on the broadband office, Stritzinger points out that to have both programs on their radar is “near impossible for the Internet Service Providers. ARPA has completely consumed our ISPs and to try to drop BEAD on them at the same time just wouldn’t be possible.”He notes that ‘everybody’s exhausted’ and believes that “when all the dust settles, five, ten years from now, I think the states that played it slower with BEAD are going to be the ones that get rewarded the most.”&nbsp;<h2>Timeline&nbsp;</h2>Stritzinger anticipates a volume two approval by the end of September, equating to the 365-day window starting around October 1, 2024.&nbsp;That puts South Carolina into the 4th quarter of 2025 for Final Proposal submission, followed by what Stritzinger says will be NTIA approvals and a lengthy permit process. Therefore, BEAD network construction is probably not going to take place much before the summer of 2026. “We've tried to do as good of a job with our ARPA money as we could, recognizing that BEAD won't start construction until the summer of 2026,” says Stritzinger. “I'm relentlessly trying to get every home we can connected before then.”BEAD project areas in South Carolina will be zip codes. Stritzinger is not overly concerned that ISPs will apply, stating that his perspective is “Some ISPs are going to want to apply just on a defensive mode because of the way the scoring works. ISPs can't allow a couple of mushroom BSLs to pop up in your service area and allow a competitor to come in. There's going to be some defensive applicants.”&nbsp; &nbsp;<h2>Non-Deployment Funding</h2>Back to the math of ~$551 million for less than 32K BSLs - Stritzinger says it’s a great ‘problem’ to have because he can designate approximately $232 million to BEAD Non-Deployment programs. “I'm working with NTIA on some special things that I'm personally extremely excited [about]. I'm now in a kind of fantasy land for being a broadband director, because we're going to be able to invest heavily in a variety of areas other states will not be able to.”&nbsp;He has projects on the drawing board including everything from middle-mile fiber rings to improve statewide backhaul to a $7 million stipend program for broadband staff that should “inject 150 mission critical people into the bloodstream of South Carolina very fast.”Additional investments he anticipates include $5 million for multiple dwelling unit infrastructure and $20 million slated to build a Virtual Primary Care program in South Carolina.Virtual Primary Care is about replacing expensive ambulance transport for low income, critical-care patients to the ER for primary care visits. “By partnering with the Medical University of South Carolina/SC Teleheath Alliance, we’ll equip these homes with connected medical equipment, train the residents how to use it – and – cover the annual cost of high-speed broadband service for each home,” says Stritzinger. “This is our creative approach to affordability and should wind up simultaneously saving the state substantial money.”&nbsp;“Therefore, with $232 plus million dollars pointed in the BEAD Non-Deployment direction, I think we can make some magic happen,” extols Stritzinger.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/in_the_field_1_86a049d6fa/in_the_field_1_86a049d6fa.png"></figure><h2>You Cannot Wipe that Smile off His Face!&nbsp;</h2>You can tell that Stritzinger has found his calling.&nbsp;His exuberance abounds as he states “I'm very blessed. I've got the job of my lifetime, the capstone on anything I've ever done.”He reiterates that these blessings include a great staff, a supportive legislature, and his peers. He shares that “the state broadband directors have all become friends” which seems obvious for those of us watching. “As I've gotten to know the other broadband directors, I've become aware that they all have a superpower. Each one kind of came into their role from a different place. Some came into it from a digital equity posture. Some came into it with federal grant experience. Others were political appointees; however, all are talented and willing to help each other.”He wraps up our conversation saying that “technology has been really good to me over the years.”&nbsp;At age 60, Stritzinger sees this post as a chance to “leave a legacy,” and he seems poised to do just that.&nbsp;

The man building a legacy of success in the Palmetto State.

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Meet Jim Stritzinger

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<h2>Vermont’s Do-Gooding State Broadband Director</h2>Christine Hallquist explains to broadband.io that “In 2016 I got on a do-gooder streak. I became a do-gooder. I said to myself, I can't go into retirement watching without doing something.”She laughs in a way that’s almost apologetic, saying that readers can ‘do the math’ of what happened in 2016 to inspire her, but she was so activated that she became the democratic nominee for governor in Vermont in 2018.While she lost to Governor Phil Scott, who she says is very popular ‘for good reason,’ she became part of his administration in 2021 when he recruited her to run the broadband office.Governor Scott clearly remembered that broadband was a key piece of Hallquist’s 2018 platform when he appointed her Executive Director of Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB). Prior to this she was formerly the CEO of Vermont Electric cooperative, which serves a majority of Vermont. She recalls that in 2003 her board of directors asked her to get broadband to rural Vermont.“I've been working on this ever since, have tried every type of technology, and early on, probably by about 2008, I personally concluded that if it's not fiber, it's not broadband,” explains Hallquist.&nbsp;<h2>Already Off and Running</h2>During Hallquist’s first three years as Executive Director, the state’s seen its fiber broadband coverage double from 25% of Vermont’s broadband serviceable locations (BSLs) coverage to 50%.“Our Vermont legislature has concluded that we're going to get fiber to every address in the state, making us the only state committed to that,” says Hallquist. “By the end of 2028, we should be over 95%.”&nbsp;<h2>P3s Critical to Success</h2>Hallquist recounts her own 2021 estimates on what it would take to get fiber connections across the state with and without private investments, “I said, if you build it, if you don't take advantage of public private partnerships, it's going to cost $1.2 billion. If you take advantage of private partners, it'll be closer to $550 million.”Hallquist says that under the leadership of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, legislation has been passed to better enable public-private partnerships to get fiber to every address. Fiber, she explains, is critical in Vermont because “wireless does not work in Vermont because of our geography, our mountains and hills as well as the fact we’re greater than 80% forest lands.”&nbsp;<h2>CUDs and CPF</h2>What has worked in Vermont, following the ECFiber model (founded in 2007 in Southeast Vermont), are Communications Union Districts, (CUDs) that were enabled by legislation in 2015. These CUDs are developed in response to the rural broadband challenge and the idea that banding together, communities are more likely to find a solution. There are <a href="https://publicservice.vermont.gov/vt-community-broadband-board-vcbb/vermont-communications-union-districts">TEN CUDs</a> in Vermont, many established shortly after the pandemic. Eight of these ten are servicing customers.Most recently, Vermont Community Broadband Board awarded a $20.2 million construction grant to CUD <a href="https://www.nwfiberworx.com/">Northwest Fiberworx</a>. “We’re using CPF ($113 million), SLFR (State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds) as well as some state funds to bring us close to $530 million in grant funding that’s out right now,” says Hallquist.To-date of this funding, VCBB reports awarding a total of $206 million for broadband buildout in Vermont.&nbsp;<h2>BEAD is Fiber First in Vermont</h2>Vermont will have approximately 25,000 deconflicted unserved and underserved locations that BEAD will need to assist in covering. One ‘catch’ reports Hallquist is that while Vermont is concentrating on connecting the ‘on-grid’ locations, there’s a preponderance (approximately 70%) of off-grid locations that are hunting camps and only occupied a few weeks a year. “We’ve told the NTIA that we're not going to serve hunting camps and I think we’re close to agreement on that,” reports Hallquist.But back to the program, Vermont was allotted $229 million in BEAD funding. The challenge process is complete, and the state awaits approval of Volume Two, which Hallquist reports as ‘getting close.’With that, Vermont plans on starting the bidding process either later this month or in August with what’s being called a ‘pre-proposal’ phase.Vermont is requiring interested bidders to participate in this process that will out-of-the-gate define interest and even allocation. “If somebody comes into the pre-proposal phase with a plan to serve the entire area with fiber, then when we’ll greenlight them for the proposal process and we won't consider anything else,” says Hallquist. “The thing we want is 100% fiber first. For the areas that propose mixed technologies in the pre-proposal phase, then we'll leave that open for bid in round one. In other words, if we've got one bid or more, 100% fiber will decide in the pre-proposal process, who's going to get the bid and if someone can deliver that, we'll immediately start,” says Hallquist.Vermont’s bid areas will match the CUDs as 218 of Vermont’s 252 towns are in CUDs. Hallquist predicts that many of the remaining unserved and underserved will be very small pockets that can be reached by existing carriers with line extension assistance.Hallquist is very optimistic as there’s already a great deal having been built and being built in the past few years. But she reports that “If we get no bids, then we’ll look at changing the bid areas and reaching out ourselves [to potential carriers].”We're hoping to finalize all this by the end of December.&nbsp;<h2>Is It Enough?</h2>Vermont attributes receiving 2x what was predicted in some circles for BEAD. Hallquist attributes this to a very aggressive approach to broadband map challenges before allocations were announced.But will state funding, CPF/ARPA money, and BEAD be enough to bring Vermont “Universal Access?” Hallquist thinks so when she says that “It gets us there with some level of service.”This is when our conversation turns to the BEAD program, its guidelines, and the challenges. First up, the match component is a big barrier for community networks, so Vermont’s governor has tried to remove this by allocating an additional $30 million for the purpose of covering matching funds for communities. “We think we can come up with enough match to cover our community networks full and then they can get their infrastructure paid for while at the same time we're counting on those private partners to hit some of the areas and come in with their own match,” explains Hallquist.&nbsp;<h2>No Shortage of Opinions</h2>Hallquist was the 17th State leader I’ve interviewed, and one thing I walked away from the conversation with was that she’d really have a lot of positive impact on the country and the program, given the chance.Rather than brushing past these, it’s important to hear what this industry veteran had to say and consider her advice and whether anything can be applied to BEAD moving forward. She calls the BEAD program ‘flawed from the start’ for numerous reasons, including:<ul><li>“If you look at how FDR setup electric cooperatives, he signed an order to say that these will be regulated territories to prevent encroachment. But in this case, we're doing it wrong as we're allowing encroachment to happen, making the business case worse.”</li><li>“We are not going to reach our nationwide [Universal Access] goal because of the match requirement. We don’t anticipate any unbid areas but states like Texas may see up to 40% of no bid areas.”</li><li>“A lot of the no-bid areas are the result of simple math. My math shows, and I haven't had anybody really argue this, that if you get less than four paying customers per mile, even if you give the network away, you can't support it because the operation and maintenance costs. You still don't have a business, sustainable business plan. So, I've been pounding on the NTIA to say, look, this is not going to work.”</li><li>“There’s not enough capacity with a limited number of line workers in our country. You must use a first-class line worker and there's just not enough capacity in this country to get it done. I’m not sure what we can do about this as the cows are out of the barn.”</li></ul>&nbsp;<h2>The Vermont Community Broadband Board</h2>Currently eleven people work within the VCBB, a number Hallquist calls a ‘healthy number.’ They’re overseen by an independent board made up two members assigned by the governor, one by the state house, one by the state senate, rounded out to five total members with a member elected by the public.“I come from the private sector, so I had no idea what kind of a bureaucracy I was stepping into, explains Hallquist. “I’m grateful to have folks on my staff that can help me navigate the ins and outs of government bureaucracy.”Hallquist admits that she was ‘worried,’ about being able to have the staff needed because the public sector can’t compete with compensation rates in the private sector. But today she’s thrilled with her team saying, “These people come here because they're mission focused, really committed to the job, and a passionate group of people.”“I told my staff that this is pretty much an impossible task, universal access, right? With all the forces going against us, we must be perfect to execute this thing. And I think we will be. We've got a lot of help with a good board and a very supportive state. I don't think all the states have what we have. We’re lucky. It's about the whole collective will of everyone to make sure everything comes together to make this succeed.”<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; margin-top: 24px">
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The maverick getting it done in the Green Mountain State

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Meet Christine Hallquist

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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.&nbsp;Standing more than halfway through 2024 – the Year of BEAD – and mere days before Mountain Connect 2024, we’ve reached an inflection point.&nbsp;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?&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>The BEAD showdown is here.&nbsp;</h4>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&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/louisiana-is-ready-for-bead">first state to have both volumes of its initial BEAD proposal approved</a> last year.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Broadband experts have warned for months that 90 days simply&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/blog/think-you-can-complete-your-bead-application-in-90-days-think-again">isn’t enough time to successfully complete a BEAD application</a>.&nbsp; 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<a href="https://connect.la.gov/bead/"> ineligible to submit applications</a> for a share of Louisiana’s BEAD allocation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h4>Time is running out&nbsp;</h4>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.&nbsp;Providers who plan to expand their broadband footprint through BEAD are already being empowered with tools to ensure their success.&nbsp;By&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/products/bead-grant-reporting-automation-software">automating thier reporting and compliance</a> 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.&nbsp;Numerous efforts have also been made to simplify the BEAD process, such as eliminating Letter of Credit requirements in exchange for&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/blog/everything-broadband-pros-need-to-know-about-performance-bonds">performance bonds</a>, have been made to encourage broader provider participation. Many of these efforts have also been previously chronicled by the Fiber Broadband Association in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfandgsDKFVQ-qn7ytPx5_8rTCpo9mV_L">“Where’s the Funding” series</a> released last year.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;<h4> Remember what’s at stake&nbsp;</h4>Providers know more than anyone else what’s at stake for America if we miss this opportunity.&nbsp;Improved broadband access not only narrows the digital divide but ensures that America lives up to its promise of equal opportunity for all.&nbsp; &nbsp;

It’s the absolute last chance for anyone still sitting on the fence for BEAD 

Providers, it's the BEAD showdown

If you're on the fence, it's your last chance

It's the BEAD showdown 

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The BEAD showdown is here.

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The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal subsidy which made internet service more affordable for nearly 60 million Americans, expired on June 1.&nbsp;The program’s end came as Congress failed to fully fund the program despite the urging of&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/broadbandmoney/status/1787565735641841979">policy experts,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.digitalinclusion.org/acp-advocacy/">consumer advocates</a> and<a href="https://broadbandbreakfast.com/supporters-rally-for-affordable-internet-access-through-acp/"> activists</a> since the beginning of the year.&nbsp;ACP, which began in 2021 and was administered by the FCC, provided low-income Americans with a monthly credit up to $30 per month to put towards their internet bills, and up to $75 per month for those living on tribal lands.&nbsp;Bridging the digital divide for low-income households has been a major priority for state broadband offices building their plans for both BEAD and Digital Equity funding.&nbsp;What comes next for providers depends on measures taken by individual state broadband offices – and whether or not Congress later decided to make the Affordable Connectivity Program more permanent.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some states have launched plans to fill the gap left by ACP’s expiration&nbsp;&nbsp;Providers need to reach out to their state broadband offices to determine their course of action in ensuring that low-income families can remain connected.&nbsp;Some states, like Pennsylvania, have established plans for ensuring that low-income families continue to have access to affordable broadband service. Per Pennsylvania’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benton.org/blog/pennsylvanias-plan-affordable-broadband?utm_campaign=Newsletters&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=sendgrid">plan</a>, BEAD-supported providers must continue to offer an unsubsidized low cost plan. Low-income customers, in turn, are responsible for paying the full cost of those plans without the ACP subsidy.&nbsp;Broadband experts, such as Philip Macres of Klein Law Group,&nbsp;<a href="http://expressed">expressed&nbsp;</a>earlier this year that there was hope for the NTIA to address this issue through a match program.&nbsp;“NTIA can look at a match [program] and say, ‘We’re gonna include in that match some type of low income program,’ which they have to perform over a period of time to maybe get us over the hump,” Macres said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/replace_with_this_01fb83063b/replace_with_this_01fb83063b.png"></figure>Some providers are continuing to provide broadband service&nbsp;Numerous internet service providers, ranging from large providers like Verizon and Spectrum to rural providers like the Vermont Telephone Company, have earned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/05/31/fact-sheet-president-biden-highlights-commitments-to-customers-by-internet-service-providers-to-offer-affordable-high-speed-internet-plans-calls-on-congress-to-restore-funding-for-affordable-connect/#:~:text=Today%2C%20the%20White%20House%20highlights,continue%20accessing%20low%2Dcost%20internet.">recognition</a> for their continued commitment to offer plans at $30 or less to low-income families.&nbsp;There are also numerous smaller ISPs across the country offering low-income plans for customers in exchange for them keeping service,&nbsp;<a href="https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2024/05/21/isps-and-the-end-of-acp/">as outlined last month&nbsp;</a>by CCG Consulting’s Doug Dawson.&nbsp;Providers interested in offering a low-income option should start by inquiring about the eligibility of their new and existing customers, Dawson said.&nbsp;“Most ISPs don't ask this simple question when speaking to customers,” Dawson said. “If ISPs want to have a low-income product, they must always ask new or existing customers if they qualify and then make it easy for them to enroll.”&nbsp;It's also worth noting that it isn't uncommon for small, non-traditional providers to simply not be able to afford a low-income option, Dawson said.&nbsp;“Financing a $30 discount comes straight out of an ISP's bottom line,” Dawson said. “They may not sound like a lot, but the smaller the ISP, the harder it is to be able to afford that. Most small ISPs don't have a margin as large as that discount – so that means losing money on every customer they connect.” Congress still can make the ACP permanent&nbsp;In May , members of the U.S. Senate proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4317/text">legislation</a> that would have provided $6 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The proposed legislation which earned&nbsp;<a href="https://problemsolverscaucus.house.gov/media/press-releases/bipartisan-problem-solvers-caucus-backs-legislation-to-protect-internet-access-for-low-income-families">bipartisan support</a> would have ensured enhanced targeting of communities in need and minimized waste.&nbsp;Unfortunately, the legislation was not able to pass before the May 31 deadline, but the contents of the legislation has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.naco.org/news/us-senate-eyes-funding-affordable-connectivity-program-through-broader-telecommunications">proposed as additions to other legislative funding proposals</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Providers must remember what’s at stake&nbsp;As providers and their customers face uncertainty ahead, it’s important to remember what’s at stake in BEAD and beyond.&nbsp;Broadband access doesn’t simply close the digital divide, but closes divides in education, healthcare and culture. Let’s not lose the shot that our country’s largest and arguably last major investment in broadband.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Here’s what’s being done to ensure that low income families have broadband access. 

What does the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program mean for millions of low-income Americans? 

Affordable Connectivity Program is over. What's next. 

The Affordable Connectivity Program has expired. What comes next? 

What's next after the end of the ACP? 

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What comes after the Affordable Connectivity Program? 

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Halfway through 2024, or as it's known in broadband circles, ‘the Year of BEAD’, states are forced to ask themselves a simple question: Are we really ready for thousands of applications in a matter of weeks?&nbsp;Broadband providers, small and large, have been&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/blog/think-you-can-complete-your-bead-application-in-90-days-think-again">warned against</a> waiting for applications to open to prepare their applications for their share of the $42.5 billion BEAD program.&nbsp;“BEAD is unlike any other federal program for broadband that has ever existed,” Lori Adams, Nokia’s vice president of broadband policy and funding strategy said. “It’s the enormous costs for each component of the application and time-consuming activities required before the application is even submitted.”&nbsp;State broadband offices, meanwhile, are at various stages of their challenge process, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/a-fool-proof-recipe-for-stakeholder-engagement">practicing effective stakeholder engagement</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/state-broadband-office-resources/three-steps-states-must-take-when-adjudicating-cpc-challenges">implementing best practices for scoring</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/the-bead-showdown-is-on-the-horizon-here-s-what-states-must-know-1">prioritizing data-driven calculations over politically-motivated adjudications</a>.&nbsp;For states eager to win in BEAD, the next step must be equipping their offices for success in the BEAD showdown, or the moment when thousands of applications hit their desks.&nbsp;Here’s some of the tools that states must utilize to avoid being on the wrong side of the BEAD final showdown:&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s time to be data-driven&nbsp; As always, the first step for state broadband offices seeking a victory in the BEAD showdown is to be&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/data-driven-state-broadband-offices">data-driven</a>. State broadband offices will reap the rewards that come from broad participation, deep and meaningful partnerships and action based on precision rather than politics as usual.&nbsp;Directors must remember this as monopoly interests are incentivized to lie, steal, cheat and attack the credibility of each director’s process. Directors must be prepared to defend their office’s credibility from inevitable challenges.&nbsp;Broadband access for all is a math problem, not a political problem. States must ensure that their calculation process incorporates a math-based foundation for taking action if providers get off track and quickly rewards providers who meet established requirements.&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Screenshot_2024_05_30_at_1_53_07_PM_d61624a04a/Screenshot_2024_05_30_at_1_53_07_PM_d61624a04a.png"></figure><h3>An applicant portal built to your state’s needs</h3>State broadband offices must provide applicants with an easy-to-use portal that is custom built to their state’s needs. This ensures that providers of all sizes can effectively participate in the program while maximizing the efficiency of state broadband office staff during the scoring process.&nbsp;Ready’s custom-built portal provides an easy-to-use portal that provides an interface for both applicants to apply for funds and state broadband offices to score applications. This portal can also be customized to fulfill the needs and compliance requirements of all 50 U.S. states and territories and tribal lands.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>A portable digital profile&nbsp;</h3>State broadband offices should be sure to use a portable digital profile that maintains an ongoing record of providers and distributions of their networks and funding programs. This program should also provide a secure place for state broadband offices to communicate with providers about applications, guideline changes and other matters that are important to their BEAD journey.&nbsp;Ready’s Grantor Platform provides the ability for state broadband offices to perform all of these functions within a single, custom-built platform.&nbsp;<h3> Remember what’s at stake</h3>State broadband offices know what’s at stake for families relying on them to bring affordable, reliable broadband. Broadband access closes not only the digital divide, but can close divides in education, healthcare and culture that brings all of us together.&nbsp;BEAD is the country’s largest and arguably last major investment in broadband. It’s an opportunity in which states nor providers can afford to be left behind.&nbsp;

Without the right tools, states can end up on the wrong side of the BEAD showdown 

Is your state ready for 10,000 BEAD applications? 

BEAD applications are coming soon. Are you ready? 

Is Your State Ready for 10,000 BEAD applications? 

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In a matter of weeks, state broadband offices will be closing their challenge processes and gearing themselves for the BEAD final showdown. Applications from providers, large and small, for their slice of its state’s BEAD allocations will be pouring into offices for review.&nbsp; State broadband offices must remember that access for all is a math problem that requires&nbsp;calculation&nbsp;rather than adjudication. More specifically, it’s a&nbsp;geospatially constrained optimization problem that evolves daily and is riddled with lies, threats and broken promises.&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/in_blog_graphic_3e0692dfd7/in_blog_graphic_3e0692dfd7.svg" alt="Grant Optimizer">
</div>&nbsp;<h2>State broadband directors = heroes</h2>Directors must become heroes for their process which will be riddled with attacks and threats throughout the entire process. They must be able to defend their office’s credibility when challenged which will be inevitable.&nbsp;Monopoly interests are incentivized to lie, steal and cheat as they have done in the past. State broadband offices must remain data-driven to ensure that the country’s largest and arguably last investment in broadband infrastructure brings a legacy of success.&nbsp;States must also ensure that their calculation process incorporates a math-based foundation for taking action if providers get off track and quickly rewards providers who meet established requirements.State broadband directors interested in a legacy of data-driven success by calculating should follow the below steps:&nbsp;<h2>Your application process is opening soon. Here’s what states should be doing.&nbsp;</h2>For starters, it’s time to confront the math that access for all will be impossible for most states without massive optimization.&nbsp;Optimization provides an opportunity for state broadband offices to create defensible scenarios for qualifying locations. This will prove to be an essential need for states whether they’re using pre-defined project areas, political boundaries or provider-defined boundaries. States must be sure to keep as many options on the table. High-cost areas, for instance, could be served by low-latency LEO satellite rather than fiber to maximize cost savings.&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/state-broadband-office-resources/optimize-grant-allocation">Ready Grant Optimizer&nbsp;</a>offers a one-stop solution for states to model target areas of broadband grant investment dollars with precision using dozens of data sets. Using the Grant Optimizer, states can receive existing fiber data and model networks across the state to connect every home using the optimal blend of fiber and wireless to reach connectivity for all. The Grant Optimizer additionally can draw project areas across the state optimized for ROI, or return on investment, to ensure that high cost projects aren’t left abandoned. This tool is 100% compliant and follows both NTIA and FCC guidelines, but also configurable to your state’s goals and policies regarding BEAD and other program allocations.&nbsp;<h2>It’s time to accept applications.&nbsp;</h2>During the application process, states will process and compare hundreds of different applications that have conflicting project boundaries, varied technology and unit economics. States must be able to score the different attributes in an objective, fair, and defensible manner. Generic application solutions cannot capture the nuances of this process.&nbsp;Ready’s&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/state-broadband-office-software">applicant portal</a>, which is included in&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/state-broadband-office-software">Ready’s Grantor Platform</a>, provides an easy-to-use interface for applicants applying for funds and for state broadband offices scoring applications. The portal is built to your state’s programmatic requirements with numerous features, including project area deduplication tools and collaborative workflows for your auditors, engineers and consultants. The portal also features embedded scoring rubrics to maintain the system of record and ensure a smooth transition of data from the application phase to the reporting and compliance phase in a NTIA and fabric compliant manner.&nbsp;&nbsp;A strong applicant portal ensures that all applicants, regardless of size, have equal opportunity to win grant funding and that states can make fair and informed comparisons of applicants.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>You’ve received all your applications. What comes next?</h2>Upon closing of the application window, the first step to successful evaluations is automating repetitive tasks, such as reporting and compliance.&nbsp;States must be sure to establish a robust reporting and compliance system that can securely collect adequate evidence on broadband deployment, grant compliance and other areas that must be reported to NTIA and other stakeholders.&nbsp;Ready ARC, or&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/products/bead-grant-reporting-automation-software">Automated Reporting and Compliance</a>, is a fully-compliant tool allowing for state broadband offices to track BEAD deployments in real time, including monitoring sub-grantee processes and securing progress updates. It also incorporates source-of-truth data, such as Proof of Passings, rather than forcing offices to rely on provider self reporting. States can use Ready ARC to publish transparent maps to track releases, collect information automatically and prevent states from relying on self reporting.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Remember what’s at stake&nbsp;</h2>State broadband offices know what’s at stake for families relying on them to bring affordable, reliable broadband. Broadband access closes not only the digital divide, but can close divides in education, healthcare and culture that brings all of us together.BEAD is the country’s largest and arguably last major investment in broadband. It’s an opportunity that neither states nor providers can afford to be left behind.&nbsp;

Too much is at stake for state broadband offices to be anything other than data-driven 

States wanting to win in BEAD should focus on calculation rather than adjudication

States Should Calculate Rather than Adjudicate BEAD apps

What Your State Needs to Be Ready for a BEAD Showdown 

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The BEAD showdown is on the horizon. Here’s what states must know

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&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><div>
 NTIA officials released the Notice of Funding Opportunity, NOFO, for the second digital equity program in the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant program in late March.
 Authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the State Digital Equity Act includes three funding programs:
 <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/USE_THIS_ONE_836fe29444/USE_THIS_ONE_836fe29444.png?updated_at=2024-04-11T21:26:00.343Z" alt="NoFo Image" style="max-width: 370px; height: auto; float: right; margin-left: 24px;">
 <ul>
 <li>$60 million for State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program</li>
 <li>$1.44 billion for State Digital Equity Capacity Program</li>
 <li>$1.25 billion for Competitive Grant Program</li>
 </ul>
</div></div>&nbsp;<h4>What states must know&nbsp;</h4>The first funding program, the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, was announced in 2022. All 50 U.S. states, territories and tribal governments submitted their plans by July 12, 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/news/latest-news/first-time-all-states-will-have-plan-address-digital-equity">marking the first time that all states had a plan to address digital equity</a>.&nbsp;Louisiana and Virginia, both Ready customers, were among the first states to have its Digital Equity plans approved.&nbsp;This funding program provides funds to U.S. states, territories and tribal communities to implement their digital equity plans established previously under the State Digital Equity Planning Program. This program also establishes a competitive process to make funding from both programs available for use in digital equity and inclusion activities.&nbsp;Under this program, U.S. states, territories and tribal communities will have $840 million available to implement their digital equity plans.&nbsp;U.S. states and Puerto Rico must have their applications submitted to the NTIA by May 28, 2024. U.S. territories, besides Puerto Rico, must have their applications submitted by&nbsp;July 31, 2024.&nbsp; Tribal governments will be able to submit applications starting on&nbsp;September 25, 2024 and must have applications submitted by&nbsp;February 7, 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/In_blog_graphic_ef690bd986/In_blog_graphic_ef690bd986.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;<h4>What states can do to stay ahead&nbsp;</h4>Grantors, throughout the application process, must operate by the principles of a&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/data-driven-state-broadband-offices">data-driven state broadband office</a>.&nbsp;Digital equity asset maps in conjunction with&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/state-broadband-office-software">Ready’s Grantor platform</a> can be a powerful step to ensure broad participation in this process.&nbsp;Using the Ready platform, grantors can utilize geospatial tools to visualize areas of need and define project areas. Ready’s&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/products/performance-test-and-survey">Performance Test and Survey</a> tools will allow grantors to collect data from a wide range of communities to properly determine where resources should be disbursed. State broadband offices can also utilize&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/products/bead-grant-reporting-automation-software">Ready Automated Reporting and Compliance&nbsp;</a>to minimize their team’s value time being spent on regulatory and compliance needs.&nbsp;State broadband offices have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to narrow the digital divide and uplift their communities. There will never be another chance like this, and state broadband leaders must have the best tools at their disposal to make data-informed decisions that allow them to make the most effective use of their funding allocations, and get their communities the broadband they need.&nbsp;

Everything that states must know to successfully execute a Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program 

Want to get ahead on Digital Equity Programs? Read this. 

Everything you need to know about Digital Equity Capacity Grants 

Everything that states must know to successfully execute a Digital Equity Program 

Digital Equity 101 

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Here's what you need to know about digital equity

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If you’re a cooperative sitting on a&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/bead-hidden-truth-your-rural-electric-co-op-is-probably-sitting-on-a-matching-funds-goldmine">BEAD goldmine&nbsp;</a>who’s aware that&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/hidden-truth-you-don-t-need-to-become-an-isp-to-win-in-bead">becoming an ISP isn’t necessary to win in BEAD</a>, there may still be one thing keeping you on the fence: meeting reporting and compliance guidelines.&nbsp;And you wouldn’t be alone. In fact,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nrtc.coop/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/REC-Broadband-Benchmarking-Report-2022-Refresh.pdf">more than 70% of cooperatives reported that their greatest concern in BEAD was fulfilling reporting and compliance requirements.</a>&nbsp;<h2>Software is the solution</h2>Software can automate nearly all of your post-award reporting and compliance burden, and thus allow you to focus on connecting more families to the broadband service they need.&nbsp;Ready’s ARC platform is designed to help BEAD applicants save time by skipping the manual self-reporting process and mountains of paperwork with a single digital workflow. This, in turn, means that applicants are able to coordinate their deployments with marketing efforts while also supplying updates regularly.This allows for applicants to answer questions, such as “Where is the network at this moment?”,&nbsp;“Are broadband performance obligations met?”&nbsp;and “How is service at location X?”<img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/VPQLFVWcdSL54ZWd2-TCOQSYAbc0kDJmv56ns4-onWpgNHonO9pSDwmZypH_C1UtbkFLj9yFIMV2TraID91xu3SY7JCzhI4wDmT-4P8BjBeDazEPun9EeCmbcirkuYZws5wwbKCqR_664mDfLXF6bUU">Using ARC’s open Proof of Passings Standard (POPS), any Build America Buy America -compliant equipment can be connected to the platform to save time and provide other benefits. This includes geospatial attestations of service availability, quality, and affordability and automation and digitization of the passings reporting process.&nbsp;ARC’s capabilities also includes automated&nbsp;Proof of Marketing™️, a BEAD requirement that those awarded BEAD grants make demonstrable efforts to market plans to unserved and underserved locations, and&nbsp;Proof of Labor™️,&nbsp;which ensures compliance with Davis-Bacon among other labor and workforce requirements.&nbsp;Ready ARC also includes&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/broadband-audits">America’s Broadband Audit</a>, a public report card on America’s current broadband reality and Performance Test and Surveys.&nbsp;<img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/D08HWRtF2FTE9iJbRjULgQZHF02luQddpKJSJ-RGFryhVK23P6l4e90Zai6uo7p3vJ9zSnSc6VLeYvxyWXR_OqichavZe3m75DWMKEWO1EGMjlZII-u8JSN6yn6CuKuejmCFHuHR5IbAHTy6GDNEvmg">Lastly, BEAD applicants should utilize&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money./">Broadband.money</a>, a one-stop applicant platform that provides tools and resources for every stage of the BEAD journey.&nbsp;Time is of the essence and your communities are counting on you. And, remember, if you don’t apply, your competition will.

 RECs biggest concerns can be eliminated with Ready ARC

Want to win in BEAD? Use software to avoid the paperwork and parts you loathe 

Software can save you from BEAD hassles  

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Hidden Truth: Software can handle the parts of BEAD that you loathe 

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/truth2inblog_c3657617b0/truth2inblog_c3657617b0.png"></figure>As many cooperatives discover that they are sitting on a&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/bead-hidden-truth-your-rural-electric-co-op-is-probably-sitting-on-a-matching-funds-goldmine]">BEAD goldmines</a>, it raises an important question: Can cooperatives win in BEAD without becoming ISPs, or internet service providers?&nbsp;The answer is a resounding yes – and doing so can bring an additional revenue stream to cooperatives for their existing infrastructure.&nbsp;Cooperatives possess a powerful legacy as&nbsp;public resource stewards alongside decades of success delivering critical services to members. Many are uninterested in pivoting their operations and becoming an ISP, but&nbsp;don't want their members to lose in BEAD.&nbsp;Under BEAD and IIJA, or Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act guidance, these cooperatives can form partnerships between ISP operators and other stakeholders, such as other cooperatives and other infrastructure owners.&nbsp;Cooperatives applying alongside an ISP are not only competitive for BEAD, but can also create an additional revenue stream. Under the partnership agreement, a cooperative can use their existing infrastructure to charge the partner ISP a monthly fee. This fee can be assessed on a per passing or per subscriber can include maintenance costs for the right-of-way infrastructure.&nbsp;&nbsp;Finding a trustworthy partner&nbsp;Cooperatives should prioritize finding a trustworthy ISP partner that will allow for cooperatives to maintain the trust of its customers.&nbsp;The most trustworthy partners are cooperatives that have successfully begun operating as ISPs, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/united-fibers-path-to-bringing-broadband-to-northwest-missouri-s-rural-communities">United Fiber</a>. These cooperatives possess an intimate understanding of structure and expectations of cooperatives, but also understand what is necessary to successfully deploy broadband.&nbsp;It’s important that both cooperatives are aligned on what is at stake in partnerships as they must last at least a decade, per BEAD guidelines.&nbsp;BEAD is a&nbsp;golden opportunity for cooperatives to bring broadband to their members – even if they don't want to be an ISP. It simply can’t afford to be missed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Want to learn more?&nbsp;Be sure to check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.broadband.io/c/broadband-grant-events/hidden-truths-about-bead">Hidden Truths of BEAD</a> featuring Darren Farnan, general manager of United Fiber, and Jase Wilson, founder and CEO of Ready, on Friday, March 29 at 2:30 pm.&nbsp;

BEAD can be a win-win for co-ops who don’t want to be an ISP   

Co-ops who don't want to be an ISP can still win in BEAD 

Not an ISP? You can still win in BEAD

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Hidden Truth: You don’t need to become an ISP to win in BEAD

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Ready is excited to partner with Calix to help providers get the resources they need in order to connect more families and business to better services.“We’ve heard from numerous providers across the country, but especially in rural communities, that BEAD’s requirements are onerous and its rules are difficult to understand. This partnership will allow us to simplify, streamline, and provide more opportunities for local providers to win at BEAD,” Scott D. Woods, Ready’s President, Public-Private Partnerships said. “This further continues Ready’s commitment to our mission to bring better broadband services to every single household – regardless of geographic location or any other demographic barrier.”Ready’s tools, including <a href="https://ready.net/products/bead-grant-reporting-automation-software" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">automated reporting and compliance</a>, will dramatically simplify each stage of the funding process for Calix’s customers. Ready’s platform, Broadband.money, will be available for customers to use to gain resources and tools necessary for BEAD success.Calix is a key player in supporting its customers in deploying and complying with federal and state government funding programs. Over the past three years, the company has secured over $2 billion in federal and state funding programs including $650 million in green energy funds for Allo Communications.&nbsp;

This partnership will allow rural providers easier access to win and manage BEAD grant funds to connect more households

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Ready excited to partner with Calix to help broadband providers win

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/In_blog_graphic_9_02f45fb93e/In_blog_graphic_9_02f45fb93e.png"></figure>Rural electric cooperatives, or RECs, have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in BEAD, a $42.5 billion broadband grant program aimed at connecting families to affordable, reliable broadband service.&nbsp;&nbsp;The stakes couldn’t be higher. If you don’t apply for BEAD, others will and they might not have your members’ best interests in mind. Co-ops like yours can, should and frankly must apply for your share of BEAD.&nbsp;Many aspects of BEAD seem daunting to RECs and co-ops like yours have built in advantages in applying for America’s largest and quite possibly last investment in broadband infrastructure.While many aspects of BEAD look daunting, RECs and Co-ops like yours have several unique built-in advantages when it comes to applying for your share of our nation’s largest-ever broadband bet.&nbsp;BEAD grants, like most government broadband grant programs, require matching funds from other sources in order to qualify for grant funding.&nbsp;In order to qualify for BEAD, applicants must have at least 25% matching funds in most states and cases. It might not be known, however, that these matching funds don’t need to provided in cash or bringing 100% of the equity or credit and lending to the table.&nbsp;This leads to our first BEAD Hidden Truth of Matching Funds.&nbsp;<h2>Your built-in goldmine&nbsp;</h2>Rural electric cooperatives, or RECs, have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use existing infrastructure as matching funds through the BEAD program.&nbsp;For more than 90 years, RECs have served as great stewards of public resources building physical plants, right of ways and service delivery infrastructure for electricity to thousands of member homes.&nbsp;That prior investment is valuable – literally – as an eligible in-kind BEAD matching fund contribution.&nbsp;In fact, you can count the value of your existing right of way, infrastructure, and make ready cost savings compared to what greenfield actors would need to invest in order to replace what you’ve already built.&nbsp;In some cases, the total value of those assets would exceed the minimum 25% matching fund contribution out of the gates.&nbsp;If your rural electric cooperative, for example, is applying for a $100 million BEAD award, it needs to have $25 million, or 25%, in matching funds in order to qualify.&nbsp;Initially, you might dismiss this as possible since you may not have $25 million in liquid assets or feel comfortable about acquiring a $25 million loan.Let’s say, however, that your electric plant is appraised at $30 million, by a qualified right-of-way appraiser. You now possess 30% of the matching funds for your BEAD award.&nbsp;Perhaps, your cooperative decides that it will offer 50% off for the first 10,000 homes to sign up for a period of two years. This comes at a cost of $5 million to the cooperative, but under BEAD guidelines, it is classified as an “in-kind contribution” that can be used towards matching funds.&nbsp;Another potential source of matching funds can be through a vendor providing a discount for the project. If a vendor provides a 20% discount on equipment, the difference between the original price and the discounted price can be counted towards matching funds.&nbsp;In the hypothetical outlined above, using these three sources alone would result in $40 million, or 40%, of necessary matching funds. And that’s before you even have to think about liquid assets or potential loans.&nbsp;<h2>It’s not a loan which means&nbsp;no collateral necessary</h2>The process begins with applicants acquiring a right-of-way appraisal from a private valuation entity to assign the value of your assets and count that in your application.&nbsp;This is not the same as pledging your assets as collateral against a loan, which was historically required in prior broadband funding programs and REC broadband consortium schemes.&nbsp;Utilizing this goldmine at your disposal is critical because&nbsp;if you don’t apply for BEAD funds, your competition will.&nbsp;<h2>You can’t afford to lose in BEAD&nbsp;</h2>Losing out on BEAD is bigger than any missed business opportunity because it won’t be just your loss, but instead a loss to the families and communities you serve.&nbsp;You owe it to your customers to ensure that taxpayer funding is best spent by providers eager to help their communities close the digital divide.

If you don’t apply for BEAD, your competition will.

BEAD Hidden Truth: Your rural electric co-op is (probably) sitting on a matching funds goldmine

Hidden Truth of BEAD #1 

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/In_blog_graphic_6_3e0d70f9b0/In_blog_graphic_6_3e0d70f9b0.png"></figure>“Oh, give me a home where the [broadband service is at least 100/20], where the [kids can study online and] play.”Well, thanks to the diligent work being done by the Kansas Office of Broadband Deployment (KOBD), you will be able to find that home in the Free State.Kansas gets its nickname from when it became the 34th state to join the Union in 1861, as a free state – that is, one where slavery was illegal.Kansas quickly came to occupy a niche in the American psyche; homesteads on vast tracts of open land beneath a sky full of stars promised freedom and a fresh start for many.&nbsp;But despite the enormous opportunities of moving out west, Kansans weren’t promised an easy life, and their state motto reflects this: Ad astra per aspera – latin for “to the stars through difficulties.”And indeed, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/about/meet-the-team/broadband/">Jade Piros de Carvalho and her team at KOBD</a> has embodied this adage to the letter – stalwart in the face of all of the challenges that have beared down on them. Ready is proud to power KOBD, helping them scale and grow in the ways that they need to in order to ensure that every Jayhawker has access to the broadband they need and deserve.KOBD is using Ready’s Grant Optimizer tool to enable the development of a statewide high-level design for a fiber network that reaches serviceable locations in even the most remote corners of the Free State.&nbsp;The KOBD team is also using Ready’s Challenge Process Coordinator to facilitate the state’s challenge process. Kansas is racing to be one of the first states to actually deploy BEAD funding as every day without deploying broadband infrastructure is another that families go without broadband.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Screenshot_2024_02_29_at_12_08_1_15e2683f90/Screenshot_2024_02_29_at_12_08_1_15e2683f90.png"></figure>Kansas is also making use of the Ready Research Platform as well as the Performance Test &amp; Survey in order to assist with broadband availability research and network design.A few things come to mind when most people think of the state of Kansas: agriculture, buffalo, sunflowers, and maybe the Wizard of Oz. But the KOBD team is working hard to get “high-speed broadband” added to Kansas’ game of word association.

The Stars are Aligning for Kansas as it seeks to improve broadband connectivity.

The Kansas Office of Broadband Deployment  is pushing hard to get Kansans Broadband

Kansas is Ready for BEAD

The Stars are Aligning for Kansas as it seeks to improve broadband connectivity

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The Free State is Working to Make Broadband Affordable and Accessible to All

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/In_blog_graphic_4_5b30a954c2/In_blog_graphic_4_5b30a954c2.png"></figure>Broadband Expansion and Access of Mississippi (BEAM), Mississippi’s state broadband office, has charted a course to 100 percent broadband coverage for the residents of The Magnolia State, powered by Ready’s suite of software solutions.&nbsp;Aside from being the state that’s most fun to spell out loud, Mississippi was ground zero for a new American sound as the birthplace of blues artists like&nbsp; B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Big Joe Williams.&nbsp;&nbsp;You also can’t forget the food scene in Mississippi either. Many out-of-staters have seen their jaws hit the floor after a bite of gas station fried chicken. Nothing served at the same address as diesel has the right to taste so good.&nbsp;But gas stations serve a purpose that may be unfamiliar to some. Oftentimes, a gas station is more than a place to fill up your truck; it’s the general store; it’s the local watering hole; and in Mississippi, they often serves as anchor institutions where local residents can access reliable broadband service. Tracking institutions like these is just one of the ways that Ready helps to power the State Broadband Office of Mississippi.&nbsp;Mississippi is using Ready’s Grantor Portal, Grant Optimizer, Performance Test &amp; Survey, and Challenge Process Coordinator to assist BEAM in connecting the state’s communities. Ready has also assisted with stakeholder outreach and engagement on the ground in Mississippi.The BEAM Team – known to their fans as the Dream Team – set an extremely high bar for state broadband offices around the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/broadband-leaders/making-broadband-a-reality-for-mississippians">Sally Burchfield Doty</a>, a former Mississippi State Senator and Executive Director of the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff, leads a small but intensely driven team that has accomplished so much in such a narrow window of time.&nbsp;BEAM has managed hundreds of funding applications and deconflictions to their data, and enabled a request for comments window and a post-award lifecycle that extends for years in the future – all through a single platform.&nbsp;Sally and her team also make a point of spending time in the trenches, going to communities all around the state, engaging with the families and communities across The Magnolia State as far south as the Gulf Coast to the Delta region in the state’s northwest corner and the Black Belt in the northeast region.&nbsp;The Magnolia State has a long, winding road ahead to reach 100 percent broadband coverage, but they have built a foundation of success that will enable them to reach their dreams of broadband for all Mississippians.

Broadband for all is more than a slogan in The Magnolia State.

The Magnolia State continues to plant the seeds for BEAD success

Mississippi is Ready for BEAD

Broadband for all is more than a slogan in The Magnolia State

Mississippi takes major steps towards BEAD readiness

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The Magnolia State continues to plant the seeds for BEAD success and beyond 

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Indiana_In_blog_graphic_96bd7accbf/Indiana_In_blog_graphic_96bd7accbf.png"></figure>Hoosiers can rest easy knowing that their state broadband office is pulling out all the stops to ensure that every family and community in Indiana gets served with affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.in.gov/history/about-indiana-history-and-trivia/emblems-and-symbols/what-is-a-hoosier/">Though no one is 100 percent certain where the term “Hoosier” originated</a>, one thing’s for sure – it certainly roles off the tongue much better than “Indianians” (which is technically also correct, but who would opt to use that over Hoosier?). Though less than 14 percent of the population of the Hoosier state lives in rural areas, in excess of 80 percent of the state’s area is devoted to farmland and forests. In fact,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/faqs/#:~:text=related%20to%20agriculture%3F-,Which%20are%20the%20top%2010%20agriculture%2Dproducing%20States%3F,%2C%20North%20Carolina%2C%20and%20Wisconsin.">according to the USDA</a>, Indiana ranks 8th in order of total agricultural output.<div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Optimizer_9e778408df/Optimizer_9e778408df.svg?updated_at=2024-02-26T21:54:40.711Z" alt="Grant Optimizer">
</div>&nbsp;Ensuring that Hoosiers have access to the broadband they need goes beyond telehealth, distance learning, and the other familiar components of digital equity that many people in 2024 have become familiar with. For a state like Indiana, technologies powered by broadband that enable innovations like precision agriculture are equally important, as they increase a farmer’s efficiency, and enable them to do more with less.`And that’s exactly what Ready aims to help the Indiana State Broadband office do with its suite of software.&nbsp;Indiana will utilize the Ready Research Platform, Grantor Portal, Grant Optimizer, and the Performance Test and Survey to assist its broadband office in bringing the internet to more families across the state, without the need to hire an army of experts.&nbsp;But what will all of those tools do?&nbsp;These tool’s represent a soup to nuts solution for Indiana; not only will the tools assist internet service providers in crafting a compelling and comprehensive grant application, it will also assist the state broadband office in evaluating and monitoring said applications. Additionally, the Ready Research Platform and Performance Test and Survey will allow the broadband office to play with a full deck – enabling them to make accurate, data-driven decisions that reflect the reality Hoosiers face on the ground.

Indiana plows a path to better broadband powered by Ready’s software.

Indiana is Ready for BEAD

The Hoosier State is using Ready’s suite of software to support their broadband office

Indiana plows a path to better broadband

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Indiana Is Speeding to Bring Broadband to Every Hoosier

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<div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Proof_of_passing_1_a5d4e5c7a6/Proof_of_passing_1_a5d4e5c7a6.svg?updated_at=2024-02-16T22:37:53.076Z" alt="ARC for State Broadband Offices">
</div>&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program">Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD)</a> Program is our country’s largest-ever investment in broadband infrastructure and arguably its last. $42.5 billion hangs in the balance, and tens of millions of families are depending on it for improved broadband connectivity.Ensuring broadband access, however, is more than award announcements and disbursing checks.&nbsp;Questions continue to surface while everyone awaits checks in the mail. BEAD’s careful deployment demands years of reporting and compliance auditing in addition to monitoring in order to ensure that funding is utilized efficiently.&nbsp;Providers are familiar with strict reporting and compliance requirements, but BEAD’s requirements are unlike any other. And, more importantly, they don’t end with the BEAD NOFO and its parent legislation, IIJA.&nbsp;NTIA is expected to release additional guidance later in 2024.It’s vital to our nation’s largest-ever broadband infrastructure investment that we empower state broadband offices and providers to meet program obligations.&nbsp;It’s why we’re pleased to announce Ready ARC&nbsp;Problems:&nbsp;Protecting America’s investment is a noble goal, but BEAD’s stringent post-award requirements create a burden for local, non-traditional providers unable to hire an entire team of compliance specialists. Self-reporting also poses its own challenges, and comes with waste, fraud and abuse risks.BEAD presents both an opportunity and challenge for states. States face numerous trackable project parameters that awardees must use to certify accuracy of progress reports. NTIA has adopted an address-level definition for passings, creating a geospatial challenge for state broadband offices.States are also encouraged to surpass minimum reporting and compliance requirements, such as increasing reporting frequency. Recipients are expected to comply with requirements from both the state and NTIA.&nbsp;This problem is exacerbated for grant recipients; meeting compliance and reporting requirements is labor intensive. Very few people want to discuss BEAD’s myriad procurement, labor and environmental regulations.The ARC addresses both problems by minimizing the burden of manual reporting and compliance by tethering directly to the awardee operator’s system of record. ARC uses software where it can be most helpful: the boring, banal back-office paperwork.&nbsp;This leads to the best outcome: all stakeholders united throughout the deployment journey.<h2>ARC for State Broadband Offices</h2>ARC ensures that provider’s live up to their obligations . It also helps grantors ensure awarded deployments remain on track throughout the post-award lifecycle.&nbsp;With ARC, your focus shifts to the most important job to be done: connecting families to better broadband.&nbsp;Empower your sub-grantees to deliver above and beyond.&nbsp;<ul><li>Combat waste, fraud, and abuse</li><li>Meet NTIA’s stringent obligations for reporting and monitoring</li><li>Compare progress to promises made: identify deviations from plans, highlight risks, and proactively communicate updates</li></ul>Through Proof of Passings&nbsp;and the Challenge Process Coordinator’s quarterly map update, Ready states can avoid the market failures of previous broadband grant funding cycles. No more promises made, promises broken.&nbsp;Track BEAD deployments in real timeMonitor sub-grantee progress while keeping up to date with deployment progress. Spreadsheets attached to emails won’t tell you whether service will degrade as a result of oversubscribed, under-invested equipment, but the network knows.<div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Report_cards_aff436cff9/Report_cards_aff436cff9.svg?updated_at=2024-02-16T21:04:23.683Z" alt="BEAD Dashboard">
</div><h2>ARC for BEAD applicants</h2>Apply for BEAD with confidence – at any size&nbsp;ARC saves busy providers of all sizes time by skipping the manual self-reporting&nbsp; and mountains of paperwork with a single digital console.&nbsp;This allows you to focus on your top priority: connecting happy subscribers. Software can’t pull fiber for you or deliver the great customer service you’re known for.&nbsp;Back Office Secret Sauce is your BEAD success platform built to help you replace your time-intensive, back-office processes with digital workflows.&nbsp;Bye, bye paperwork!<ul><li>Supply updates routinely</li><li>Coordinate deployment with marketing efforts</li></ul><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/2_26a1778ca0/2_26a1778ca0.svg?updated_at=2024-02-16T21:04:18.366Z" alt="BEAD Whiteboard">
</div>&nbsp;<h2>ARC for key stakeholders</h2>Busy consultants&nbsp;who need to be able to do more with less.Utility insurers&nbsp;and&nbsp;investors leverage ARC to follow the journey of their grant-backed utility deployments.How does ARC work?&nbsp;ARC replaces manual self-reporting with software together with the proofs required from systems of record utilized by the awardee operator. Answer tough geospatial questions ✨automagically✨with the latest snapshot:<ul><li>Where is the network now?</li><li>&nbsp;How is service at location X?</li><li>What plans are available and at what price?</li><li>Are broadband performance obligations met?</li><li>Audit Trail to ensure all stakeholder interactions are captured and retrievable</li></ul>ARC gathers proof from operator systems of record and, unlike messy manual self-reporting, tethers operator equipment for source-of-truth.<div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Reporting_and_Compliance_tracking_0ca019e5c4/Reporting_and_Compliance_tracking_0ca019e5c4.svg?updated_at=2024-02-16T21:04:26.859Z" alt="Track Reporting and Compliance">
</div>Proof of PassingsARC’s open Proof of Passings Standard (POPS) allows you to use any BABA-compliant equipment and still benefit from the time savings.<ul><li>Geospatial attestations of service availability, quality, and affordability&nbsp;</li><li>Automate and digitize passings reporting process</li></ul>Proof of Marketing<ul><li>BEAD requires proof that awardees make demonstrable efforts to market plans to unserved and underserved locations.</li></ul>Proof of Labor<ul><li>Davis-Bacon and other labor and workforce requirements are just as vital to BEAD compliance as monitoring service.</li></ul>Broadband Audit<ul><li>The Broadband Audit serves as the ongoing, public report card that evaluates the state of broadband service and penetration in each state and territory</li><li>Get alerts for non-compliant events and upcoming requirements</li></ul>Performance Test &amp; Survey<ul><li>Double check and verify the broadband quality you expect to see within communities</li></ul>And more of the tools that make ARC:&nbsp;<ul><li>Proof of Service</li><li>Proof of Low Cost Option</li><li>Proof of Funding</li></ul>&nbsp;<h2>ARC in the wild: the Diamond State is Ready for BEAD</h2>Arkansas is the first state slated to utilize Ready’s automated Recording &amp; Compliance tools. Arkansas Broadband Office and Arkansas’ internet service providers will enhance their productivity and streamline this important component of the BEAD process between the state, applicants, consultants, and key&nbsp; stakeholders.&nbsp;

Simplifying Reporting and Compliance for every stage of the BEAD process.

Meet NTIA’s strict post-award reporting & compliance requirements 

Automating Reporting & Compliance for BEAD Grants: Introducing ARC

Get the proof you need to succeed in BEAD grants 

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Introducing ARC for BEAD

Introducing ARC: Automated Reporting & Compliance™️ for BEAD Grants

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Screenshot_2024_02_15_at_8_43_21_PM_5a4bfe2ab9/Screenshot_2024_02_15_at_8_43_21_PM_5a4bfe2ab9.png"></figure>The road to BEAD compliance is one fraught with challenges, but thanks to the diligent work of the&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/state-broadband-offices/nevada">Nevada State Broadband Office</a>, Silver Staters are one step closer to being ready for BEAD;&nbsp;<a href="https://beadregister.nv.gov/">When Nevada launches their challenge process</a>, it will be powered by Ready’s Challenge Process Coordinator.&nbsp;Nevada is a state known for its subterranean treasures – whether that's the state’s namesake, silver – or gold and copper – or even black opals! Hopefully soon another precious resource will be found in vast quantities beneath the sands of Nevada: fiber!&nbsp;And it will take quite a bit of fiber to connect the entire state! Nevada is the seventh largest state by area at 109,781 square miles – just below Arizona and right above Colorado. Even though the state’s name is derived from the Spanish word for “snow clad” (courtesy of the Sierra Nevada mountains on its western border), it is actually the most arid state in the country with only 10.3 inches of rain per year.&nbsp;And across that sand (and snow), Nevada has got it all: vast stretches of rural land, tribal communities, and cities – not least of which is the Marriage Capital of the World, Las Vegas.&nbsp;To ensure that urban, rural, and tribal communities all get the broadband service they need and deserve, Nevada will be using Ready’s challenge process to facilitate improved communication between its state broadband office, its consultants, grant applicants, and eligible entities that will be filing challenges. The challenge process coordinator uses a single portal that serves as a repository for all challenges and rebuttals filed in the state.The software uses tools like automatic messaging to keep all parties up to date on the status of their challenge/rebuttal, along with a public map that reflects changes to application areas, and other tools that are purpose-built to allow small teams to take on huge tasks.&nbsp;And Nevada’s broadband office certainly faces a huge task on the road ahead; the NTIA allocated $416.7 million to Nevada through BEAD, tasking the office with connecting over 53,000 unserved locations and approximately 13,300 underserved locations.&nbsp;Despite the doubtless challenges they will face, Silver Staters’ broadband officials remain unwavering and unflinching in their efforts to connect every serviceable location to high speed, affordable, broadband.Nevada has joined a cadre of trailblazing states that use Ready’s software solutions to power their state broadband offices, and conduct their challenge processes. These states include Mississippi,&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/broadband-leaders/bayou-broadband">Louisiana</a>, Virginia, Kansas, New York, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio, New Mexico, Delaware, North Dakota, Indiana, West Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/congrats-montana-on-being-ready-for-bead">Montana</a>, and more. &nbsp;

The Silver State’s challenge process, powered by Ready, is right around the corner.

Nevada’s challenge process will be powered by Ready

Congrats Nevada on Being Ready for BEAD

Nevada’s challenge process will allow their small broadband office to do big things

The Silver State strikes gold as it gears up for challenge process

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<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/In_blog_graphic_23be330db0/In_blog_graphic_23be330db0.png"></figure>Montana entered the next phase of its BEAD journey earlier this year in&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/blog/montana-begins-broadband-challenge-process">launching its BEAD challenge process</a> powered by Ready.The Treasure State was allocated $628 million in BEAD funding last year. Montana currently has more than 50,000 unserved locations and more than 22,000 underserved locations. Connect Montana, a subagency of the Montana Department of Administration, has been tasked with administering BEAD funding and the state’s broadband infrastructure deployment.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/BEAD_CPC_png_2642c17715/BEAD_CPC_png_2642c17715.png"></figure>Montana’s challenge process features an end-to-end experience for the state broadband office, its consultants, and its challengers that includes a dedicated portal for all kinds of challenges and rebuttals. The process is simplified with automatic messaging, a public map built to NTIA standards, and more.&nbsp;Montana joins Mississippi,&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/broadband-leaders/bayou-broadband">Louisiana</a>, Virginia, Kansas, New York, Nevada, and many other leading states to utilize Ready’s tools to conduct their challenge process.

The Treasure State’s challenge process, powered by Ready, is on the horizon.

Congrats Montana on Being Ready for BEAD

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States, territories, and tribal governments are at the foot of Mt.&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program">BEAD</a>; they are not only expected to navigate the dispersion of $42 billion, but also juggle numerous&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/a-fool-proof-recipe-for-stakeholder-engagement">stakeholder relationships</a>, including consultants.Under BEAD, these government entities must award millions to subgrant recipients, with the goal of building out broadband infrastructure for&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/unserved-location">unserved</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/underserved-location">underserved locations</a>, as well as connecting CAIs, or <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/community-anchor-institution">community anchor institutions</a>.&nbsp;Entities face tight deadlines and strict federal guidelines to deploy their funding. Funding recipients must respect individual state requirements, Fair Labor Act laws, trade restrictions and keep secure, detailed records of every step of their journey.&nbsp;As a result of these guidelines, entities must seriously consider utilizing software tools that support their efforts. Failure to do so comes with numerous risks, including clawbacks of federal funding and lawsuits from ISPs, or&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/isp-or-provider">internet service providers</a>, and others impacted.&nbsp;Here’s some ways that entities working with consultants can leverage data-driven software tools to maximize their investment:&nbsp;<h2>Meeting deadlines&nbsp;</h2>The NTIA’s BEAD NOFO, or the&nbsp;<a href="https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/BEAD%20NOFO.pdf">BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity</a>,&nbsp;outlines specific deadlines and timelines for states, tribal governments and U.S. territories throughout the BEAD process.&nbsp;Entities so far have been issued&nbsp;<a href="https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/news/latest-news/biden-harris-administration-awards-29-million-louisiana-first-internet-all">initial planning funds</a>,&nbsp;submitted their five-year plans and Volume I and II initial proposals. Louisiana was the&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/louisiana-is-ready-for-bead">first state in the country</a> to receive approval for both its Volume I and II proposals.&nbsp;States have flexibility in conducting their challenge process although there are some parameters set by the NTIA.&nbsp;Challenge processes must allow for local governments, nonprofits and broadband service providers to “challenge” a determination made by the state in its initial proposal regarding which locations are underserved, underserved or operate as a community anchor institution thus possessing subgrant eligibility.&nbsp;Broadly speaking, the challenge process is supposed to allow time for “a unit of local government, nonprofit organization, or broadband service provider” to “challenge a determination made by the Eligible Entity in the Initial Proposal” regarding which locations are underserved, unserved, or CAIs, and thus, eligible for the subgrants.&nbsp; Designated consultants must be equipped with the appropriate tools to serve entities aiming to succeed in BEAD.&nbsp; <a href="https://ready.net/products/challenge-process-coordinator">Ready’s Challenge Process Coordinator</a> provides comprehensive services to states undergoing their challenge process. This includes detailed speed tests, specific datasets at the neighborhood level and robust collaborative workflows that allow entities and their consultants to focus their efforts and resources more efficiently to close their digital divide.&nbsp;Applicants face a myriad of complex requirements which vary by state and a&nbsp;<a href="https://broadband.money/blog/think-you-can-complete-your-bead-application-in-90-days-think-again">tight timeline that must be adhered to in order to be successful in BEAD</a>. (Hint: If you’re an applicant reading this after the application has become public, it might be too late!)&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Application_Review_png_a5ba2b454f/Application_Review_png_a5ba2b454f.png"></figure><h2>Meeting Reporting and Compliance Requirements</h2>It doesn’t end with deadlines for states either. Entities must be sure that they’re properly managing their data and fulfilling specific reporting and compliance requirements.&nbsp;For states, the reporting and compliance requirements are staggering. They are time consuming, labor intensive, and come with no margin for error. Entities are expected to collect and maintain data about specific projects and deployment areas, workforce data, weather-and-climate related risks and a myriad of other factors.&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a href="https://ready.net/blog/data-driven-state-broadband-offices">data-driven state broadband office</a> strives for transparency in its record keeping&nbsp; and, more importantly, eagerly seeks to avoid subjectivity and ambiguity at all costs.&nbsp;Ready’s Grantor Platform supports entities and their consultants through managing the vast amount of data through every stage of the BEAD process, including the challenge process and ongoing reporting and compliance requirements, thus decreasing the man hours necessary to fulfill these obligations.Officials and consultants can view and compare detailed network build costs across their project areas taking advantage of optimal pathways to connect every home in need, regardless of technology. This macro-level view of the state’s current broadband offerings – alongside socioeconomic and geospatial data – allows for leaders to access a full picture in order to make data-informed decisions.&nbsp;Officials and consultants can view detailed network build costs across their state or governing area, and weigh the needs in each part of the state. They can also identify optimal pathways to connect every home in need, using fiber and wireless designs gathered from across the state, using Ready to apply automatic mathematical models.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/Optimizer_png_1_e7ca6af4bb/Optimizer_png_1_e7ca6af4bb.png"></figure>By providing both a macro-level view of the state’s current broadband service offerings, coupled with socioeconomic and geospatial place data, as well as micro-level views of each broadband serviceable location and county, officials and their consultants can zoom in and out of any given area, and get a full picture of the needs in one area compared to the needs across the state.&nbsp;Ready’s Grantor Platform also provides a cache of post-grant functionalities, including project monitoring, management, and automated compliance reporting allowing for entities and consultants to proceed without worry about unfair scrutiny of their decisions.&nbsp;Ultimately, these features enable states to ensure that their projects are on track, compliant with regulations, and deliver&nbsp; desired outcomes.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ready-net-public-assets/BEAD_CPC_png_942b32465e/BEAD_CPC_png_942b32465e.png"></figure><h2> A Win-Win for Entities and Consultants&nbsp;</h2>Partnering with Ready serves as a win-win for entities and consultants eager to simplify and streamline adherence to BEAD regulations, and maximize the multi-billion dollar investment in broadband infrastructure.&nbsp;Leveraging Ready’s comprehensive software solutions allows for state broadband offices and consultants to maintain control and security over its data, ensure resource allocation, and meet their entity’s broadband objectives.&nbsp;In short, states will have solutions configured to their specific needs while owning the data model allowing for consultants to focus on solving complex problems – rather than shuffling through yet another Excel sheet.&nbsp;

States, territories, and tribal governments are at the foot of Mt. BEAD; they are not only expected to navigate the dispersion of $42 billion, but also juggle numerous stakeholder relationships, including consultants.

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How Dr. Tamarah Holmes plans on connecting the Commonwealth to broadband