Delaware — nicknamed “the first state” due to its status as the first state to ratify the Constitution, in 1787 — today became the second state to have its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program final proposal approved by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the federal agency administering the rural broadband funding program.
The approval means that Delaware now can proceed towards network construction using its allotted BEAD funding to cover some of the costs of making high-speed broadband available in locations that don’t have service today.
Delaware’s final proposal details how it plans to use the more than $107 million in allocated BEAD funding to connect 5,721 homes and businesses.
The approval of Delaware’s final proposal for BEAD follows yesterday’s approval of Louisiana’s final proposal. Louisiana was allotted $1.355 billion in BEAD funding but will use some of it for purposes other than deployments like education and workforce development.
The approval of the BEAD Final Proposal is required by the BEAD statute before Delaware can sign agreements with the internet service providers it has selected to build BEAD-funded networks and begin connecting the 5,721 new locations this year.
Last month, Delaware’s broadband office and the state’s governor announced they had awarded Comcast and Verizon with BEAD Program funding of $17.4 million. An email to Telecompetitor from the state’s Broadband Initiative said there were “a couple of minor changes [to the original final proposal], but nothing significant.”
“The BEAD program gives states the resources they need to deliver affordable, reliable high-speed internet service to all,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. “Delaware has a terrific plan to close the digital divide. Today it can put that plan into action and bring high-quality internet service to everyone in the state.”
Additional information about Delaware broadband, including state funding resources, awards made, and state-specific coverage, can be found on the Telecompetitor Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
Please note: A previous version of this article mistakenly said Delaware was the first state “to be ratified.”
