Highlights — Week of September 1–5, 2025

1. States Finalized and Submitted Their BEAD Proposals

More than 36 states and territories released and submitted their Draft Final Proposals, completing their public comment periods and moving on to the NTIA review process. The NTIA’s BEAD Progress Dashboard confirms that 36 out of 56 eligible entities have now submitted their final plans, while the remaining ones are operating under short-term extensions NTIA.

Key draft final proposals include:

• Arizona: Plans to use $512 million to connect 162,056 locations; funding split across fiber (75%), fixed wireless (19%), and LEO satellite (5%) Benton Foundation.
• Hawaii: $150 million allocated, connecting 7,128 locations—82% via fiber, 8% via satellite Benton Foundation.
• Massachusetts: Set to use just 12% ($18M) of its BEAD funding, with 53% allocated to HFC, 25% to LEO satellite, and 22% to fiber Benton Foundation.
• Mississippi: Using $567M to serve 97,522 locations, with fiber taking 86% of funding Benton Foundation.
• Nevada: Plan allocates $169M to connect 26,869 locations, popular technologies include fiber (64%), satellite (29%), fixed wireless (4%), and HFC (3%) Benton Foundation.
• Rhode Island: Employs $16M to connect 2,622 locations—fiber leads with 80%, followed by fixed wireless (15%) and LEO (4%) Benton Foundation.
• Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina: Similarly detailed breakdowns of eligible locations and technology splits are outlined Benton Foundation.

2. Brightspeed Makes Major Moves with BEAD Funding

Brightspeed confirmed it has been awarded over $222 million in BEAD grants across six states—Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin —covering some 73,700 homes/businesses. Notably, Wisconsin received nearly $135 million of that total

Broadband Communities

Fiber Broadband Association

3. BEAD Progress Dashboard Update

The NTIA’s BEAD Progress Dashboard reflects significant momentum: 36 final proposals submitted, with the rest awaiting or under extension NTIA.

4. Quick At-A-Glance

Proposal Submissions 36 out of 56 states/territories completed and submitted by early September

Technology Trends Predominantly fiber, with meaningful shares for fixed wireless and LEO satellite

Brightspeed$222M+ awarded across six states, connecting 73,709 locations

NTIA Timeline NTIA has 90 days to review submitted proposals; others have extensions

What This Means Going Forward

• NTIA Review Underway: States will now wait up to 90 days (from submission) for NTIA’s approval or recommendations on their final proposals.
• More Funding News Imminent: With many states clearing proposal milestones, BEAD subgrantees and awardees (like Brightspeed) are likely to get additional attention in the coming weeks.
• Diverse Technology Use: States are continuing to diversify across fiber, satellite, and wireless to suit regional needs.