The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity today announced its plans to launch a revised Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program this summer in compliance with the restructuring notice released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on June 6. The BEAD program provides $1.5 billion for high-speed internet expansion projects across North Carolina.
The new federal guidance allows additional competition from fixed wireless and satellite providers, revises scoring criteria, and requires states to complete their subgrantee selection and submit tentative BEAD awards to the NTIA by Sept. 4. As such, the division will launch and complete the subgrantee selection process for North Carolina in adherence to this new timeline.
"We are quickly working with state and federal leadership to align North Carolina’s BEAD program with the new federal requirements," said Annette Taylor, NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Opportunity. "We encourage all interested providers to prequalify now so they can participate in the state’s BEAD program.”
To fulfill the new BEAD policy requirements, the division is extending its current and final prequalification window to 11:59 p.m. on July 7 for any remaining internet service providers who wish to participate in the BEAD subgrantee selection process. The new prequalification guidance, response form and FAQs are available at ncbroadband.gov/BEAD-prequalification.
Prequalification is intended to streamline the application process and ensure applicants meet the program’s minimum and mandatory requirements. Providers that have not started the prequalification process should use these new prequalification documents. The division has removed no longer applicable requirements from the new prequalification guidance and response form and is coordinating with providers that have already submitted prequalification materials to provide guidance on items that are no longer required.
Today, the division also published the BEAD Planning Map, which contains preliminary eligible locations for the BEAD program. In the coming weeks, the subgrantee selection window will be opened and final eligible locations will be updated in the map after the division fulfills the remaining new policy guidance requirements.
Due to the new required timeline, the division will complete the application window for the BEAD program prior to launching application windows for any other infrastructure programs. NCDIT has already awarded nearly $675 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to connect more than 250,000 homes and businesses across the state to high-speed internet.
For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity and the BEAD program, please visit ncbroadband.gov.