Advice from Southwest State Broadband Heads on BEAD

DENVER, August 7, 2024 – State broadband heads from the southwest U.S. had updates on their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program roll outs, as well as advice for providers looking to participate, at a Tuesday session at the Mountain Connect conference.

Quick updates:

• Kansas received federal approval on Friday of the results of its BEAD challenge process, making it one of just a handful of states to get that necessary greenlight. The state is now looking to open up its grant application process “very soon.”
• New Mexico is putting proposed project areas, the geographic units BEAD participants will apply to serve, up for public comment in the near future. The state’s broadband office director said some people have already flagged concerns that those areas might be too large, but the state has been trying to ensure that even the most remote locations got at least one bid.