The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved 18 Final Proposals submitted by states and territories under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Each Final Proposal outlines how an eligible entity will deploy broadband in unserved and underserved areas and how it will use BEAD funds.
Approved entities include Louisiana, Wyoming, Iowa, American Samoa, Georgia, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Maine, New Hampshire, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, South Carolina, North Dakota, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island, and Virginia. NTIA reports that Louisiana has completed its award amendment and may begin accessing BEAD funds.
The approvals follow NTIA’s 2025 restructuring of BEAD requirements. Updated submissions were due on September 4, 2025. NTIA committed to reviewing proposals within 90 days.
NTIA reports that this first set of approvals reduces projected program costs by about $6 billion. As of November 2025, 53 of 56 eligible entities have submitted Final Proposals. NTIA estimates cumulative program savings of at least $21 billion once the remaining proposals are reviewed.