The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides $42.45 billion in funding to states, territories and the District of Columbia for broadband planning, deployment, mapping, equity, and adoption activities. NTIA issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on May 13, 2022 describing the program’s requirements. An important requirement is that each Eligible Entity must submit an Initial Proposal that includes a BEAD “challenge process.” Join NTIA for a webinar that provides an overview and outlines the role that a unit of local government, nonprofit organization, or broadband service provider may participate in the challenge process.

This webinar will provide an introduction this BEAD state challenge process, including:

• The BEAD Initial Proposal’s description, volume approach, and timeline
• The BEAD Initial Proposal Volume I NOFO requirements
• Challenge submission steps and the roles of NTIA, Eligible Entities, and Challengers
• Next steps and additional resources