Texas Broadband Pole Replacement Program

• In November 2024, the BDO issued a second NOFA for the Pole Replacement Program.
• Timelines and other programmatic details are provided in the NOFA.
• Applications received by the BDO will be reviewed to determine eligibility and will be either accepted or denied for reimbursement in the order they were submitted, as is required by state statute.

• Eligible applicants are pole owners or broadband service providers who paid or incurred eligible replacement costs.
• Eligible replacement costs include any amount paid or incurred by an applicant after Aug. 31, 2021, to:
  • remove or dispose of an existing pole;
  • purchase or install a new replacement pole; and/or
  • transfer any existing facilities to the replacement pole.
• Eligible applicants for the Pole Replacement Program may request reimbursement for their pole replacement costs up to the lesser of 50 percent of eligible expenses or $5,000 per pole.
  • For example: An applicant that incurs $12,000 in eligible pole replacement costs may only seek $5,000 in reimbursement.

• The application portal will open Jan. 6, 2025, and will close on Jan. 10, 2025, at 5 p.m. CST.
• Incomplete, inaccurate or late applications will be denied for reimbursement.
• The BDO will evaluate applications and notify awardees by early March 2025.
• Applicants who are issued an award will have 30 days to execute a grant agreement.

• Should the Broadband Pole Replacement Fund still retain funds following the completion of the second round, subsequent NOFAs may be published to ensure the entire balance of the fund is awarded.
• More details about future NOFAs, including how to apply, will be provided later, if applicable.

For more information about program eligibility and its requirements, the following resources are available:

• Application Tutorial
• Pole Replacement Application Summary Spreadsheet (PRASS) - Round 2 (XLSX)
  • BDO - PRASS Tutorial Round 2
• Government Code Section 403.503
• Administrative Rules 34 TAC §§16.1 – 16.17