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Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the BEAD Program will provide states funding that will help expand high-speed internet access and use. Texas was allocated $3.3 billion to support infrastructure deployment, mapping and adoption, including planning and capacity-building. The Broadband Development Office (BDO) is creating a competitive process for potential subrecipients to apply for funding.
BEAD Restructuring
On June 6, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice (Policy Notice), which outlines significant changes to program requirements and modifies how states must conduct the subgrantee selection process. In response to this updated federal guidance, the BDO withdrew its BEAD Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) published on May 15 and delayed accepting applications.
While the office works to align the program with the Policy Notice, the BDO will continue to accept additional pre-registrations through the Texas BEAD Application Portal for all interested participants, including entities that may not have considered participation in the BEAD Program previously.
On June 24 at 3 p.m. CT, the BDO will use its previously scheduled virtual Industry Roundtable as an opportunity to provide meeting attendees updates on how the Texas BEAD Program will be administered in response to the Policy Notice. The session will be recorded for future viewing. Those interested in participating in the Texas BEAD Program are strongly encouraged to attend. For details, including the meeting link, please visit BDO’s outreach webpage.
The BDO plans to publish a new NOFA later this summer that reflects the changes in the Policy Notice and will continue to keep stakeholders updated as new information becomes available. Questions regarding the program can be sent to broadband@cpa.texas.gov.
All program information, planning documents and deadlines will be available here. Check back often.
SUBGRANTEE SELECTION PROCESS
The BDO is working to restructure the subgrantee selection process to comply with the new requirements outlined in the Policy Notice. Program guidance will be provided as soon as it is available on the BEAD Application Portal Registration Page.
Prospective applicants that experience technical issues can contact the BDO’s technical support helpline by calling 855-TEX-BEAD (855-839-2323) Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by emailing the BEAD helpdesk.
Texas BEAD Subgrantee Selection Webinar Recordings
The BDO hosted an eight-part webinar series to ensure potential applicants were prepared to submit successful applications. Due to the forthcoming programmatic changes, the information provided in most of the webinars is no longer relevant. To avoid confusion, the outdated webinar recordings have been removed. The remaining webinar recordings provide accurate information relevant to the Texas BEAD Program.
| Date | Topic/Recording | |
|---|---|---|
| March 12 | Preliminary Registration | |
| May 7 | Subgrantee Portal Walkthrough | |
| Please note the information provided in these webinars are subject to change as the BDO works to update the portal to reflect the new guidelines provided by NTIA. | ||
CHALLENGE PROCESS
APPROVED BY NTIA ON MAY 8, 2025
The BEAD Challenge Process is vital to ensuring the state accurately represents location-level funding eligibility for the BEAD Program.
Additional Information
The BDO accepted service availability challenges from internet service providers (ISPs), units of local government and nonprofit organizations from Dec. 3-17, 2024. The submitted challenges were reviewed by the BDO to determine validity. ISPs and community anchor institutions affected by a challenge had the opportunity to submit rebuttals from Jan. 10-24, 2025.
To ensure challengers were prepared, the BDO hosted several webinars throughout the Texas Availability Challenge Process. The following webinars covered the process and inputs needed to successfully file challenges and rebuttals:
- Oct. 30, 2024 – Webinar recording
- Nov. 13, 2024 – Webinar recording
- Dec. 4, 2024 – Webinar recording
- Jan. 8, 2025 - Webinar recording
All challenged location IDs, challenge types and challengers are listed in the BEAD Challenge Submission Data spreadsheet.
The BDO submitted challenges and rebuttal evidence to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on April 1 and was approved on May 8, 2025. The BDO’s Final Determinations for all submitted challenges and the approved list of BEAD-eligible locations are provided on the Subgrantee Selection registration page.
INITIAL PROPOSAL
States were required to submit a comprehensive two-volume Initial Proposal for the BEAD Program that detailed the steps they planned to take in pursuit of universal service.
Details
The BDO’s Initial Proposal was submitted to NTIA on Dec. 23, 2023. Volume I of the Initial Proposal was approved on April 11, 2024. Volume II was approved on Nov. 21, 2024. With the release of the NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy, the BDO is currently preparing its approach to align with the new guidance and timelines.
- BEAD Initial Proposal Volume I Amended (PDF)
- Identified Community Anchor Institutions (XLSX)
- BEAD Initial Proposal Volume II
(PDF)
*required updates coming soon
- Scoring Rubric (PDF) *required updates coming soon
Five-Year Action Plan
States and territories planning to access funding through the BEAD Program were required to develop and submit a Five-Year Action Plan to NTIA outlining broadband objectives, goals and priorities for ensuring unserved and underserved locations gain access to reliable broadband. The plan served as a needs assessment and informed how the BDO developed a Texas-specific grant program with funding from the BEAD Program.
- Email us to request a copy of the BDO’s Five-Year Action Plan.
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