States Moving Ahead With BEAD Processes

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2025 – States are moving ahead with their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program processes after the Commerce Department extended for 90 days the deadlines for final spending plans.

“In Michigan, we are in the thick of reviewing, scoring, and deconflicting 392 applications that we received in our first grant round,” said Eric Frederick, head of the state’s High-Speed Internet Office. “It’s a very busy time for us.”

He spoke Wednesday on  a Fiber Broadband Association webinar.

The state received 32 applications to serve more than 78 percent of its 248,000 eligible locations in its first round, which ended April 9 and was restricted to fiber projects. Frederick said the state is planning to start discussing grant agreements with successful round one applicants “within the next month or so.”

Michigan is also planning to release a draft of its BEAD grant agreement, the contract grant winners will ultimately sign with the state, this week for public comment, Frederick said. The state was allocated more than $1.5 billion from the $42.45 billion program.

The Trump administration on Tuesday gave all states a 90-day extension on their deadlines to submit their lists of selected projects for approval, documents that were originally due one year after a state’s initial BEAD implementation proposal was given the federal green light. The National Telecommunications Administration, the Commerce agency handling BEAD, said states could require additional time to submit those proposals in light of forthcoming rule changes.

Commerce has been reviewing the program with the goal of, among other things, making it more technologically neutral – the Trump administration has been critical of the program’s fiber preference. That updated guidance is expected to come next month, but it’s not clear how sweeping the rule changes will be.

More than 40 states have begun the process of fielding grant applications under the current rules, with some deep into the process of selecting winners from the pool. Three states got approval on final spending plans under the Biden administration, but the documents have remained under a budgetary review since President Donald Trump took office.

The Colorado Broadband Office told stakeholders in an email that “while the deadline extension may help CBO make adjustments in the upcoming weeks, as new guidance is issued, Colorado plans to move quickly and deliver early on our promise to deploy broadband as scheduled.” 

The state added that the extension “will not impact BEAD program participants, and we will continue to move forward with application reviews and communications as planned.”

Vermont’s broadband office said Wednesday it received applications for 96 percent of its eligible locations. With its window closed, the state is moving to negotiate directly with providers to secure coverage for the remaining homes and businesses.

“For those areas that did not receive applications, [the office] will reach out to known providers as part of the state’s commitment under the BEAD Program to serve all eligible locations in the state,” the state said in an email update.

Illinois’s broadband office also stressed in an email Tuesday its BEAD application process was proceeding as planned. The state’s first round brought in applications for 86 percent of its eligible locations, and its second round is planned for next month.