Wyoming Fourth State Heading Towards BEAD Project Funding
The state’s BEAD application process is expected to become available by late October.
WASHINGTON, September 5, 2024 - The state of Wyoming plans to accept applications for projects under President Biden’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, following the lead of Louisiana, Montana and West Virginia.
Wyoming was awarded $347 million under the BEAD program, which was implemented by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of November 2021.
The Wyoming Broadband Office will introduce a series of seven webinars that serve to enumerate the requirements and procedures of the BEAD grant program.
These webinars cover several topics, from overviews of the application process to detailed discussions on managerial and labor requirements, that are essential to successfully applying for a BEAD grant.
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Department of Commerce is ensuring everyone in Wyoming and across the country has access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in an August 8 statement by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which administers BEAD.
As of August 29, of the 56 BEAD-eligible entities, 39 have completed the ten phases of NTIA approval that are required to receive BEAD grant money and begin the process of accepting applications.
In addition, all 56 entities have been approved to begin their BEAD challenge phase. This indicates that more states are likely to follow in the footsteps of the few that have begun their BEAD application and funding processes so far.
