FCC

Commerce Department’s NTIA Preparing to Distribute IIJA Broadband Funding

State allocations of BEAD funding will likely be announced by June 2023.

David B. McGarry

Dec 21, 2022 — 2 min read

Graphic courtesy of Workable used with permission

Despite passing the one-year anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November, the bulk of the law’s $65 billion ticketed for broadband projects has yet to be disbursed.

Grant processes for the IIJA’s flagship program, the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, will begin in earnest in 2023. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will apportion BEAD funds among the states based on relative need, and after receiving grants, the state governments will run sub-grant programs to finance broadband-deployment and related projects. The NTIA said in November that state allocations will likely be announced by June 30.

The 12 Days of Broadband 2022 (click to open)

On the First Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
A Symmetrical Gigabit Network
On the Second Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2022 edition)
On the Third Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
Section Two-30 of the Communications Decency Act
On the Fourth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
$42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funds
On the Fifth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
5 Federal Communications Commissioners
On the Sixth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
Wi-Fi 6E
On the Seventh Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
7.7% annual inflation rate
On the Eighth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
8,132,968 census blocks and a national Broadband Fabric
On the Ninth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
$9 Billion Universal Service Fund
On the Tenth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
$10 Billion Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
On the Eleventh Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
11th Year of Xi Jinping’s rule in China
On the Twelfth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
12 or More State Broadband Officers

Within 180 days of receiving notice of its BEAD allocation, each state must submit to the NTIA an “initial proposal,” describing the competitive subgrant process it intends to employ and other relevant factors. After submitting its proposal, each state must conduct a challenge process during which stakeholders may contest the funding eligibility of locations. NTIA will make available “not less than 20 percent of the total grant funds” once a state’s initial proposal is approved.