The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program Final Proposals for Delaware and Louisiana. Delaware’s Final Proposal outlines its plan for using more than $107 million in allocated BEAD funding to connect 5,721 households and businesses. Louisiana’s Final Proposal outlines its plan for using more than $1.3 billion in allocated BEAD funding to connect 140,030 households and businesses. Louisiana and Delaware are the first two states to have Final Proposals approved. Final Proposal approval marks the final step required under the BEAD statute before a jurisdiction can sign agreements with the Internet service providers it has selected to build BEAD-funded networks and begin connecting new locations this year.
