BEAD

First BEAD-Funded Equipment Deployed in Louisiana, State Says

A Nebraska ISP is claiming the first subscriber on BEAD infrastructure.

Jake Neenan

May 13, 2026 — 3 min read

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, testifies during a hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, on Wednesday Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington by Kevin Wolf/AP

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2026 – A fixed wireless provider in Louisiana has activated a tower funded by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, the state’s broadband office said Wednesday.

Nextlink turned on the gear May 1, which Louisiana claimed was the first time BEAD-funded infrastructure went live anywhere in the country. Subscribers aren’t on the radio yet, but 104 homes and businesses are currently able to sign up and start the process of getting equipment installed at their premises.

“Today’s milestone shows what can happen when states are trusted to move quickly, providers are empowered to compete and the focus stays on execution,” Veneeth Iyengar, head of the state’s broadband office, said in a statement. “In just a few months, Louisiana moved from federal approval to delivering live BEAD-funded service to rural households.”