The countdown has begun for Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment, BEAD, the largest high-speed internet expansion effort in Oklahoma history.
On Thursday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, announced approval of the state’s Initial Proposal Volume II, which outlines the subgrantee selection process. The Oklahoma Broadband Office, OBO, has one year from approval to complete the process and award eligible internet service providers, ISPs.
“This action culminates many months of intensive planning and stakeholder engagement to ensure we can bridge the digital divide in this state once and for all,” said OBO Executive Director Mike Sanders. “Our office will continue to ensure this money goes directly to areas that don’t have high-speed internet access.”
“This program, along with ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund and Capital Projects Fund, will change the digital landscape of Oklahoma forever,” said Dr. Jim Meek, Chairman of the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board. “With well over a billion dollars invested across the state, there will be new opportunities for education, health care and local economies.”
NTIA awarded Oklahoma $797.4 million for the BEAD program. It will be used to fund last-mile connections for unserved and underserved homes and businesses.
Before the subgrantee award process can begin, the office will administer a challenge process to determine which locations in Oklahoma are eligible for funding. The BEAD Challenge Process was approved earlier this year and is outlined in Initial Proposal Volume I. More information about the challenge process will be released in the coming weeks.
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