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Outreach: News and Events
Monthly Roundtables
(All times are in Central Time.)
- Dec. 31, 3 p.m. – No Industry Roundtable Presentation. BDO staff will be online to answer any questions (join in Teams).
- Jan. 2, 10 a.m. – Combined Roundtable: Industry and Local Government (join in Teams).
Upcoming Events
- Dec. 24-27, Jan. 1 – Comptroller’s office will be closed for the holidays.
- Jan. 6-10 – Broadband Pole Replacement Program application window.
- Jan. 10-24 – Submission window for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) challenge rebuttals.
- Jan. 8 – Texas Challenge Process Webinar No. 4: Register now.
Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) II Awardee Notification
In July 2024, the BDO published the BOOT II Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) allocating almost $730 million to connect 95,000 unserved locations. More than 100 competitive applications were received across 23 counties. Following the completion of application challenges and evaluations, the first round of awardees was notified on Nov. 18, 2024.
Applications for the remaining project areas are being finalized with selected awardees that are expected to be informed in the coming days. Details will be available on the BDO website once all grant agreements are finalized. BOOT II projects must be completed and operational by Dec. 31, 2026.
BEAD Challenge Process Update
The BDO's BEAD Challenge Process opened Dec. 3, and submissions were accepted through Dec. 17. The BDO is reviewing all submitted challenges and their corresponding evidence, and all challenges will be posted online when this review is complete. The office will accept challenge rebuttals from affected internet service providers and community anchor institutions from Jan. 10-24, 2025; Challenge Portal registration will remain active until Jan. 24, 2025.
To ensure participants are well-prepared for the rebuttal phase, the BDO will host a final webinar focused on the rebuttal submission process on Jan. 8, 2025: Register for the webinar now.
Please visit the BEAD webpage for Challenge Process guidance and program details.
Broadband Pole Replacement Application Window to Open Soon
In 2024, the BDO announced a second Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Pole Replacement Program. Applications for this second round will be accepted from Jan. 6-10, 2025. Eligible applicants include pole owners and broadband service providers that have incurred qualifying pole replacement expenses.
The BDO encourages potential applicants to visit the Pole Replacement Program webpage for further details and information on the application process.
State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved the BDO’s application for the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program on Nov. 21, 2024. The BDO now may request access to $55.6 million allocated to the state to implement the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan (TDOP) and competitively award subgrant funding to eligible applicants. The approved application lists three activities to support implementation:
- Establish a digital opportunity grant program.
- Grow and sustain a digital opportunity ecosystem.
- Maintain a living digital opportunity plan.
Implementing the TDOP is intended to improve quality of life for Texans and promote economic growth by enabling fast, reliable and affordable broadband connectivity for all residents and businesses of Texas, promoting universal broadband adoption and providing access to digital skills development.
The office plans to release a NOFA in early 2025 that will provide more information about the competitive grant program and how applicants may apply for funds.
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