Alabama Updates Companies on BEAD Pre-Qualification Rules
State Broadband teams emphasized 90-day limit for the BEAD process.
June 20, 2025 – Broadband providers seeking to apply for funds in Alabama under the federal government’s broadband infrastructure program have 10 days - until June 30 - to express their interest, broadband officials representing the state said Friday.
“If you were prequalified in earlier rounds, you remain prequalified,” said Joanne Hovis, president of CTC Technology & Energy, speaking on behalf of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), in a Friday webinar hosted by the department. Hovis leads the CTC team that has advised the state of Alabama on its BEAD process.
The reopening of the prequalifying phase will “allow for additional entities that would like to participate in the program,” Hovis said.
FROM SPEEDING BEAD SUMMIT
Panel 1: How Are States Thinking About Reasonable Costs Now?
Panel 2: Finding the State Versus Federal Balance in BEAD
Panel 3: Reacting to the New BEAD NOFO Guidance
Panel 4: Building, Maintaining and Adopting Digital Workforce Skills
Alabama included language of this sort on its website, which also includes a list of pre-qualified companies.
As with other states, Alabama has opened its pre-qualification round to enable providers who did not apply under the old rules put forward by the Biden administration for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment grant program.
The Trump administration made sweeping changes to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program on June 6.
After pre-qualification applications are submitted, the evaluation will take place in late July, and August will include the final proposal to the government for consideration on how the BEAD money will be used. These final proposals are to be submitted to the government by September 4.
A variety of state broadband offices began soliciting input from unlicensed fixed wireless providers in their states, beginning on June 13, including giving them the chance to be included in coverage, or to shield their coverage areas from being eligible for funding.
On its website, the Alabama broadband office wrote:
If you are already prequalified, you do not need to submit another Prequalification Application. Your prequalified status will remain in place. ADECA will disregard the responses you submitted to any questions in the earlier Prequalification Phase that have been eliminated in compliance with the NTIA’s Policy Notice.
Previous rules had different criteria
Under the timetable governed by the previous rules, Alabama’s BEAD window ran through May 22, 2025, with $1.4 billion available for broadband expansion. Applications were scored out of 75 points, with 40 points for cost efficiency, 20 points for affordable 1 Gbps service, and 15 for fair labor practices. Secondary criteria include local or Tribal support (10 points), network coverage or technical strength (10), and up to 4 bonus points for offering $30 monthly service to low-income households.
All of those criteria are thrown out the window with the Trump administration changes on June 6.
