The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity today published the subgrantee selection process guidance and application materials for the revised Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which provides $1.5 billion in federal funding for high-speed internet infrastructure projects in North Carolina. Internet service providers that submitted prequalification materials by July 7 may submit applications through July 30.
"We appreciate broadband providers for quickly complying with the BEAD program's new federal requirements and deadlines," said Annette Taylor, NCDIT Deputy Secretary for Broadband and Digital Opportunity. "Their participation is essential for expanding high-speed internet access to more North Carolinians.”
The BEAD subgrantee selection guidance, which contains links to application materials, is available at ncbroadband.gov/bead-application. On July 7, the division also updated the BEAD-eligible locations in the BEAD Planning Map, part of the NC OneMap’s broadband mapping resources. In limited cases, stakeholders may make additional modifications to BEAD-eligible locations before the data is submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as part of each state’s final proposal.
The division will hold a webinar on Tuesday, July 22 to answer questions on the subgrantee selection process only for broadband providers prequalified to participate in the BEAD program or those working through the prequalification process. A webinar for stakeholders including counties and local leaders will be held Wednesday, July 23 at 10 a.m. to provide updates on all the division’s broadband infrastructure programs, including the BEAD program.
The subgrantee selection and application processes comply with the NTIA's BEAD program restructuring notice, which requires states to submit tentative BEAD awards to the NTIA by Sept. 4. 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.