Brightspeed Awarded $222 Million in BEAD Funding for Broadband Expansion

Brightspeed received $222.2 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program grants to expand fiber networks in six states. The company will extend service to 73,709 homes and businesses in Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The awards include $134.9 million in Wisconsin, $40.1 million in Pennsylvania, $26.3 million in Arkansas, $16.7 million in Virginia, $2.3 million in Georgia, and $1.9 million in Oklahoma. Brightspeed will oversee construction, operation, and maintenance of the new connections.

The projects build on the company’s multi-billion-dollar private investment to reach more than five million locations across 20 states. Brightspeed also received $8.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support its $15.5 million investment in rural broadband across Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.