Michigan BEAD Volume Two Approved As NTIA Head Promotes Digital Equity Grant Program

WASHINGTON, August 28, 2024 – The federal government announced Wednesday it had approved Michigan’s plan for administering its slice of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, bringing the total to 32 states.

“It was a very sophisticated, very impressive plan that really shows how everybody in the state is going to get connected,” said Alan Davidson, administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the agency tasked with handling BEAD. He spoke at an event in Detroit with city officials and digital equity advocates.

Michigan was allocated more than $1.5 billion for broadband expansion under the program, the fourth most of any state. With the second volume of its BEAD proposal approved, the state needs NTIA approval of its eligible location list before soliciting grant applications from ISPs. Three other states have opened their application windows so far.