WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration released final guidance for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program’s state challenge process.
The program’s rules require that each state and territory include a BEAD “challenge process” in their Initial Proposal. In the challenge process, a unit of local government, nonprofit organization, or Internet service provider may challenge whether a location or community anchor institution is eligible for BEAD funding, including whether a location has limited or no Internet service.
The final guidance is intended to help states and territories design and implement their BEAD challenge processes and includes a model for how a state or territory may choose to meet those program requirements.
NTIA sought public comment on the proposed guidance in April and incorporated feedback from those comments into the final guidance released today.
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About the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the Executive Branch agency that advises the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA’s programs and policymaking focus largely on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption in America, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, advancing public safety communications, and ensuring that the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth.