Expert Opinion
Gigi Sohn: The Town BEAD Forgot
In Louisiana's poorest parish, a $6 million BEAD fiber award became a $150,000 Starlink contract under the Trump administration's rewritten program, leaving Lake Providence behind.
Rural
Optimum Connects 3,000 Locations in Louisiana's Sabine Parish
Officials say the effort targets long underserved areas across the rural parish.
BEAD 2026
Experts Say $21 Billion Remaining BEAD Funds at Risk of Going Unused
Industry leaders push for faster distribution to avoid defaults, delays, and efforts to close the digital divide
People
Thomas Tyler Leaving Louisiana Broadband Office
He served as the agency’s deputy director since 2021.
Expert Opinion
How Louisiana Solved the BEAD Rubik’s Cube
Louisiana appears to have achieved the BEAD program’s objective for hundreds of millions of dollars less in subsidy costs than was budgeted.
Louisiana
Louisiana Begins BEAD Pre-Qualifications
The preliminary pre-qualification will allow subgrantees to prepare qualification materials.
BEAD
Flush With BEAD Cash, at Least 13 States Make Plans For ‘Nondeployment’ Funds
Several state offices expect to utilize nondeployment funds in conjunction with infrastructure deployment funds for BEAD.
Infrastructure
Broadband Offices Tout State Initiative to Train Prisoners for Broadband Workforce
The industry has been working to train students and others to take on jobs in broadband-related fields.
IIJA
Louisiana the First State to Launch BEAD Challenge Process
ConnectLA is the first state agency under BEAD to kick off an evidence-based procedure ground-truthing local broadband data.
FCC
Virginia and Louisiana Each Release BEAD Implementation Plans, Volume Two
Outlines subgrant processes and application scoring criteria.
FCC
State Broadband Leaders Ask for Provider Cooperation on BEAD
Leaders asked that providers share fiber routes for cost modeling.
Fiber
Utah Releases Its State Broadband Plan for BEAD Funds, With Middle Mile Prioritization
The state’s unique fiber sharing model makes all the difference for middle mile builds, say Utahns.
BBLO
Overreporting on State Broadband Maps Could Hinder Spread of Connectivity to Communities
Overreporting in maps may prove to be detrimental.
Funding
Fiber Technology Will Dominate BEAD Deployment, Agree Panelists at Wireless Conference
The BEAD program will prioritize fiber deployments, agree experts.
Breakfast Club
Broadband Breakfast to Release Middle Mile Report Ahead of Special Connect (X) Session
The May 10 Connect (X) session will discuss the Middle Mile Program and the key role of state broadband offices.
BBC
NTIA Is Using Federal Program Officers as Safety Net for State Broadband Leaders
The NTIA’s resources for funding applications help state broadband officers manage their their BEAD programs.
