"Most states (45 as of Friday) have released their recommended awards in the Benefit of the Bargain round in the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The total value of the award recommendations for those states is less than half of initial allocations, according to a Telecompetitor analysis. The initial allocation for the 45 states was about $32.8 billion."
"The total value of the award recommendations for the states is about $15.2 billion, or about 46% of the initial allocation. Changes to BEAD rules imposed in June are a key reason for the results. But other factors are at work as well. And of course, aggregate numbers only tell part of the story."
"Eligible locations reduced. Between late 2022, when Congress decided that $42.5 billion was the appropriate budget for BEAD deployments, and today, the number of eligible locations dropped by 65%, according to an analysis from the Advanced Communications Law and Policy Institute (ACLP) at New York Law School. This occurred, in part, because of broadband deployments that occurred in the intervening months. Another consideration is the rule change that made locations served by fixed wireless operating in unlicensed spectrum ineligible for funding."
Forty-five states have released BEAD recommended awards totaling about $15.2 billion, roughly 46% of their initial $32.8 billion allocation. Changes to BEAD rules in June reduced eligibility and contributed to lower recommended award totals. The number of eligible locations has fallen about 65% since late 2022 due to intervening broadband deployments and rule changes excluding certain fixed wireless locations on unlicensed spectrum. State-level results vary widely, with some states near full allocation receipt and others receiving only single-digit percentages. Recommendations remain subject to NTIA approval, which may seek further reductions.
Read at Telecompetitor
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