What is BEAD?
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. BEAD provides funding for broadband planning, deployment, mapping, and adoption activities, with the primary purpose of expanding high-speed internet access.
BEAD Eligible Activities
- Deploy broadband service to unserved locations and underserved locations
- Ensure deployment of gigabit connections to community anchor institutions (e.g., schools, hospitals, libraries)
- Remaining funds can support access, adoption, and equity-related uses
Where we are today....
Many Americans lack access to affordable, reliable, high - speed Internet America runs on high-speed internet. A strong internet connection powers our economy and supports education. It fosters better public health and it connects loved ones and strengthens social ties. But not everyone is connected. Too many Americans are cut off from the opportunities that high-speed internet makes possible. That’s why we’re working to bring high-speed internet to all Americans
....and where we're going
The BEAD Program includes $42B for high-speed Internet access Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, BEAD is a federal grant program that aims to get all Americans online by funding partnerships between states or territories, communities, and stakeholders to build infrastructure where we need it to and increase adoption of high-speed internet. BEAD prioritizes unserved locations that have no internet access or that only have access under 25/3 Mbps and underserved locations only have access under 100/20 Mbps.
North Dakota is a leader in broadband and is steadfast in its goal to provide internet to all unserved and underserved locations. The state plans to use its federal BEAD fund allocation of $130M to help connect remaining North Dakotans.
Challenge Process Overview
The Challenge Process was a procedure set up by each state or territory participating in the BEAD Program. It enabled eligible organizations and government units to challenge the determinations in a state's Initial Proposal concerning the eligibility of specific locations or community anchor institutions for grant funds. During the challenge process, the State Broadband Program Office only allowed challenges from nonprofit organizations, units of local and tribal governments, and broadband service providers. While NTIA guidelines state that residents cannot submit challenges directly, they were encouraged to work with local governments and non-profit entities to provide speed test data to support challenges.
- Unserved locations are defined as Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) that lack access to Reliable Broadband Service at speeds of at least 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream and latency levels low enough to support real-time, interactive applications.
- Underserved locations are defined as BSLs that lack access to Reliable Broadband Service at speeds of at least 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream and latency levels low enough to support real-time, interactive applications.
The Challenge Process is a requirement of North Dakota’s BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1 and will help finalize the list of locations that need broadband service through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. North Dakota used the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Map to create the initial list of unserved and underserved locations and then modified that data based on the process outlined in the State’s Initial Proposal Volume 1. The formal challenge process began mid-April and activities concluded in mid-July.
Completed BEAD Challenge Process Timeline
The BEAD Program will help expand access to reliable, high-speed internet to unserved and underserved areas throughout North Dakota. Having concluded the required Challenge Process, the State is now preparing to initiate a competitive subgrantee selection process. The NTIA has certified the Challenge Process findings and internet service providers can now view the BEAD-eligible locations on the NDIT BEAD webpage. The Subgrantee Selection Process will include three phases: Pre-Application, Initial Application Rounds, and Subsequent Application Rounds. Please see the below information on the BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process Pre-Application Phase.
BEAD Subgrantee Selection Pre-Application Phase
The Pre-Application phase is optional and non-attributable and will help the State Broadband Program Office informally identify geographic gaps and overlaps in potential projects. Responses will be anonymous and will not be posted publicly. Eligible applicants are encouraged to complete the Pre-Application Questionnaire by the end of the closing date of November 19, 2024.
The Pre-Application Questionnaire is available for viewing here https://forms.office.com/g/smyJGep2gG.
Once the Broadband Office has reviewed the pre-application submissions, we will launch the Initial Application Round. This informal pre-application phase is simply a process that was set in the initial proposal and one the State is now required to follow by the NTIA. Participating, or not participating, in this pre-application process will not impact activities in the Initial Application Round. Any responses, however, will begin to inform expectations of the number of bidders or how the Extremely High Cost Threshold may need to be set.
During the Initial Application Round, the State Broadband Program Office will solicit applications for unserved and underserved locations and eligible Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs). In the coming weeks, the State Broadband Program Office will also be scheduling office hours to allow applicants to ask questions regarding the BEAD application. The entire Subgrantee Selection Process is visualized below:
North Dakota BEAD Subgrantee Selection Target Timeline
Resources
Use the following resources to better understand the Challenge Process. More resources will be added as needed.
- Challenge Process Overview
- Challenge Process User Guide
- Challenge Process Information Session Flyer
- Challenge Process Webinar Recordings
- Challenges Rebuttals Summary
- BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1
- BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2
- BEAD Challenge Process FAQs
- News Release North Dakota BEAD Initial Proposal Volume I Approved, Broadband Map Viewable for Upcoming Challenge Process
- Post Challenge CAI
- Post Challenge Locations
For more information, email us at broadband@nd.gov