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Volume 54  - September 2024 

BEAD Letter of Intent Due October 1 

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program will award funding to expand high-speed internet access in unserved and underserved locations in Wisconsin. The BEAD program allocates over $1 billion in funding to build broadband infrastructure.

The first phase of the BEAD sub-grantee selection process is that the Commission will require eligible applicants to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). The LOI will be used to evaluate a potential applicant's capacity to deploy and operate broadband service. A Letter of Intent is the first required step to participate in the sub-granting process and be eligible for BEAD funding. 

LOI submissions are now being accepted, and are due no later than October 1, 2024, at 1:30 pm C.T. The Commission has published instructions that detail the questions and the requirements of the LOI and provides step-by-step instructions for completing all sections of the BEAD LOI application. We encourage eligible entities to submit their LOI as soon as possible prior to the due date in order to facilitate any additional needed information or corrections.  

The BEAD LOI and subsequent subgrantee selection process are using docket 5-BD-2025.
Interested parties are encouraged to proactively subscribe to the docket on the Commission's ERF system to ensure they receive timely information related to the process.

BEAD Grant Program webpage

BEAD Application Instructions: Letter of Intent

BEAD Letter of Intent Webinar Recording - Webinar Slides (PDF)

BEAD Endorsement and Engagement Factsheet 

The Wisconsin BEAD program sub-award process includes points for broadband projects that meet certain criteria for endorsement and engagement. The WBO has released a fact sheet and frequently asked questions document to help applicants, community organizations, and local and Tribal governments understand the scoring criteria and the estimated timeline. The factsheet provides examples of the types of activities and documentation that may be used to meet the scoring requirements along with questions and answers regarding the scoring criteria.

Preliminary BEAD Eligibility Map and Data Available 

On August 30 the Commission posted the preliminary results of the BEAD challenge process to the docket 5-BCH-2024. The challenges and preliminary list of BEAD eligible locations was sent to NTIA for review and approval. The preliminary count of BEAD eligible locations is 206,577. The WBO has published a web map of the preliminary list of BEAD eligible locations. Members of the public, potential applicants and stakeholders can search a particular address or zoom into an of the state to see if it is preliminarily  eligible for BEAD.  Once a final list of eligible locations is approved by NTIA, it will represent the final determination of location eligible for BEAD. Once accepted, the map will be updated and a revised list (if necessary) will be posted to the docket 5-BCH-2024.

Federal Broadband and Digital Equity Updates 

Proposed BEAD Alternative Broadband Tech Guidance Public Comment Due September 10, 2024

On August 26, 2024 NTIA released "A BEAD Alternative Broadband Technology Policy Notice to provide Eligible Entities with additional guidance regarding the use of alternative technologies to serve unserved and underserved locations within their jurisdiction." NTIA seeks comment from the public on this proposed guidance as well as the issues noted in Appendix A. If you wish to provide comment to NTIA, please submit to BEAD@NTIA.gov by 11:59PM ET on September 10, 2024.

Digital Equity Competitive Grant Due September 23, 2024

The NTIA announced the availability of nearly $1 billion to fund Digital Equity programs that ensure communities have access to devices and skills needed to fully participate in the digital world.  This is the first funding opportunity from the Digital Equity Act’s $1.25 billion Competitive Grant Program and is part of the “Internet for All” initiative.  This opportunity is available across the nation and a variety of organizations can apply on a competitive basis for funding to support of variety digital equity programs and services. Applications are due by September 23. Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program Webpage

FCC Announces it is Establishing a 5G Fund for Rural America

On August 29, 2024, the FCC announced it had adopted new rules to move forward with the 5G Fund for Rural America, to support 5G mobile wireless services in rural communities. The 5G fund will distribute up to $9 billion in funding to bring voice and 5G mobile services to rural areas of the county through a multi-round reverse auction. More information on the 5G Fund.

Digital Equity Capacity Grant Native Entities Application Opens September 25, 2024

The Digital Equity Capacity Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity establishes a competitive process to make both Digital Equity Planning Grant Program funds and Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funds available to Native Entities to carry out digital equity and inclusion activities consistent with the Digital Equity Act. The application window for Native Entities, including federally recognized Tribes, will open on September 25, 2024 and close on February 7, 2025. More information is available on NTIA's grant program page. 

Permitting Success: Closing the Digital Divide Through Local Broadband Permitting 

This paper, a Benton publication by Drew Garner, is intended to help local governments and ISPs develop permitting processes that will maximize the impact of BEAD and all future investments in broadband. Includes the snappy subtitle: "What happens when you lock 30 experts in a room until they agree on broadband permitting?" An important read. 

Equitable Access to Affordable Broadband in Wisconsin 

On September 5, 2024 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society published a Digital Beat highlighting broadband affordability in Wisconsin's BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2. The article summarizes the affordability goals, low-cost plan and middle class affordability plan in the State's approved BEAD proposal.

Grant Recipient Corner

All open Broadband Expansion Grants: Interim Project Status Reports due. Submit your interim project status report(s) between October 1 and no later than October 31^st for all open state-funded broadband expansion grant (BBEG) awards.

FY23 Grants Filing Project Status Reports: Starting with this reporting round, all reports will be submitted through the grants system.  You will get a notification once the report is open and ready to be completed. 

FY22 and Older Grants Filing Project Status Reports: All  grants prior to FY23 will continue to file Project Status Reports via the Public Service Commission’s electronic record filing system, ERF. When uploading, use this naming convention in your filename and in ERF’s description field: UID# BBEG FYxx Grant Recipient, Project Name. You can find the UID number in the lookup table on our webpage.

Wisconsin Broadband Office Newsletter

The Wisconsin Broadband Office will send out regular communication to internet service providers, grant applicants and broadband stakeholders. We aim to be relevant and share timely information from our office. Please reach out if anyone from the Wisconsin Broadband Office can be of assistance or if you would like to request a staff member attend a meeting or make a presentation to your group. Email Us

PSC is transitioning to using govDelivery for sending general communication such as press releases and program area newsletters. The govDelivery platform is used by thousands of government agencies for sending engaging, secure, and timely messaging. For more information about govDelivery, visit the govDelivery website.