States Advance BEAD Subgrantee Selection Amid Federal Uncertainty
New Mexico, Hawaii report strong provider interest as more states move to prepare final proposals.
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2025 — Despite growing uncertainty over potential changes to the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, states were pushing forward with subgrantee selection — closing application windows, reviewing competitive bids, and releasing data on provider participation.
New Mexico and Hawaii reported strong provider interest in recent weeks, even as speculation about new program guidance and shifting program priorities under National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator-designate Arielle Roth and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has left some broadband offices second-guessing what’s to come.
Here’s some recent activity:
New Mexico
First application window closed: March 24
New Mexico’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion received 66 applications requesting more than $719 million for its $675 million BEAD allocation. The proposals spanned 144 unserved project areas in 31 counties and aimed to connect more than 31,000 unserved locations.
