NTIA Approves Maine, Kentucky BEAD Initial Proposals

June 17, 2024– The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced Monday the approval of Kentucky and Maine’s Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment initial proposals.

States are required to receive approval of volumes 1 and 2 of their BEAD initial proposal before gaining access to the funds awarded to them through the program, announced last year. Kentucky was awarded over $1 billion and Maine $271 million to connect all unserved and underserved addresses in the state. This is Maine’s largest grant award ever received for expanding broadband access across its jurisdiction.

“I thank President Biden and the Maine Congressional Delegation for their hard work to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made this historic investment possible,” said Maine Gov. Janet Mills. “My administration and the Maine Connectivity Authority will continue our aggressive work to make an internet connection available to every person in Maine who wants one.”

The Maine Connectivity Authority has facilitated $140 million in investments to high-speed internet access to over 70,000 new addresses statewide since 2021. An additional $80 million in private and community investments has enabled the state to connect over 70% of Maine’s unserved areas as of 2020, the state said.  

BEAD initial proposals outline various program aspects, including the subgrantee selection process and the state's plan to achieve universal coverage. The BEAD program, created by President Biden’s Infrastructure Law, allocates $42.5 billion among states and territories to fund broadband expansion in areas that lack adequate connectivity.

The purpose of the Biden Administration’s Internet For All initiative is to “ensure everyone in America has access to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.