Washington – The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved initial proposals for Mississippi and South Dakota’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.
This approval allows Mississippi and South Dakota to request access to funds and begin implementing the BEAD program, a major step toward achieving the President’s goal of closing the digital divide and providing affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service to all Americans.
Today’s action allows states to require:
- Mississippi: Over $1.2 billion
- South Dakota: Over $207 million
“In the 21st century, a reliable internet connection is a necessity that enables access to jobs, healthcare and education. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation, the Department of Commerce is committed to ensuring that everyone in Mississippi, South Dakota and across the nation has access to high-quality, affordable, high-speed internet.” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said:“Congratulations to the Mississippi and South Dakota teams, and we look forward to working with you to connect everyone across our states.”
The BEAD program is a $42.45 billion state grant program authorized by the Biden-Harris Administration’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation that allocated funding to states, territories and Washington, DC, to deploy or upgrade high-speed internet networks to ensure everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service.
Once adoption goals are met, remaining funds can be used for other eligible uses, such as high-speed internet deployment, training and workforce development initiatives.
“Today, Mississippi and South Dakota can move their Internet for All efforts from the drawing board to action.” Alan Davidson, Under Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Intelligence and Administrator of the NTIA, said: “I congratulate Broadband Expansion and Accessibility in Mississippi (BEAM) and Connect South Dakota for developing a strong proposal to connect all residents to high-speed internet service.”
Entities covered by BEAD (56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia) must submit initial proposals for NTIA approval detailing how they plan to use their BEAD allocations to provide high-speed internet access to all unserved and underserved areas within their boundaries. All states have until December 27, 2023 to submit their initial proposals.
NTIA provides up-to-date information on the status of initial proposals for all 56 states and territories at https://internetforall.gov/bead-initial-proposal-progress-dashboard .
NTIA will continue to announce approvals of initial proposals on an ongoing basis.
One year after approval of the initial proposal, states must submit a final proposal that includes details such as the results of the grantee selection process and how the state plans to ensure universal coverage.
A source said the following about the announcement:
Mississippi
“As the only person in Mississippi’s congressional delegation to vote in favor of making broadband available to the last mile, I support this first step, but I look forward to seeing the final outcome get it to the people who need it most.” Rep. Bennie Thompson (Mississippi’s 2nd District) said:
“This approval of the BEAD program means we’re one step closer to connecting all of the unserved and underserved parts of Mississippi’s most rural areas.” “We are pleased to partner with the Mississippi Broadband Expansion and Accessibility (BEAM) Board of Directors to provide this technology to our communities,” said Sally Doty, Mississippi State Director of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility (BEAM). “These are massive construction projects that will take significant time to build and require careful evaluation and monitoring, but incredible progress is being made. Reliable, high-speed internet is on its way from Alligator, Mississippi in the heart of the Delta to Woodville, Mississippi in the southwest corner of the state and everywhere in between.”
Internet for everyone
The bipartisan infrastructure legislation includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed internet access in communities across the U.S. NTIA recently launched a series of new high-speed internet grant programs funded by this legislation that will build high-speed internet infrastructure across the country, create lower-cost options for high-speed internet service, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs of communities.
For more information about the Biden-Harris Administration’s high-speed internet service program, visit InternetforAll.gov.
