NTIA Approves Initial BEAD Proposals for Four More States

WASHINGTON, Sep 26, 2024 - Four states - Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota and South Carolina - won approval Thursday for their broadband deployment plans from the agency in charge of handing out more than $40 billion in subsidies to connect every American to fast and affordable Internet service.

The state of Georgia was the only one of the four set to receive more than $1 billion. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration noted that the state would receive over $1.3 billion in subsidies. The other states, Iowa, Minnesota and South Carolina, were slated to receive over $415 million, $651 million, and $551 million respectively.

The Biden Administration’s $42.45 billion BEAD program was designed to extend broadband access to unserved and underserved locations in 56 eligible entities, including five territories, Washington, D.C., and all 50 states.