Louisiana Clears First Batch of NEPA Approvals for BEAD
The state is hoping to get all projects past environmental reviews by July 4.
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2026 – Louisiana's first batch of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program projects has cleared federal environmental reviews, the state said Thursday.
The state said it was the first set of National Environmental Policy Act approvals under BEAD. The approvals cover six ISPs and 5,000 of the state’s roughly 127,000 BEAD locations.
“Louisiana's BEAD providers are not only the first in the country to receive NEPA approvals but also the first positioned to formally begin construction,” the state’s broadband office wrote in a release. “Following the 30-day community notice period, providers will begin construction on approved projects, expanding reliable, high-speed internet in areas that have historically lacked access to internet service.”
