Texas is unveiling a renewed effort to expand broadband to unserved and underserved locations throughout the state.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts posted a new Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) yesterday outlining more than $3.3 billion in state and federal funds to expand broadband infrastructure, enhance distribution technology and ensure the reliable access to internet for all Texans. Administering the funds, the state Broadband Development Office (BDO) will accept applications from June 9 until July 22, according to the BDO.
The funding, made available through the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, will advance projects that connect residents to high-speed broadband internet.
The federal BEAD program is a $42.45 billion grant initiative designed to enable unconnected populations to benefit from high-speed internet service and its digital resources. BEAD’s operating entity, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration earmarked $3.3 billion for Texas, which the state matched with an additional $550 million from the Texas Match Assistance Program.
This round of BEAD funding will award grants up to $500 million to support statewide broadband expansion. According to the NOFA, BDO officials anticipate delivering approximately 150 awards to eligible applicants, which include local governments and for-profit businesses.
BEAD funding will support projects that primarily deploy broadband to unserved and underserved locations, including:
Constructing, improving and acquiring facilities and telecom equipment for qualified broadband service.
Improving infrastructure for backhaul, middle-mile and last-mile networks.
Expanding broadband infrastructure for multi-tenant and multi-family housing.
Upgrading network software.
Engineering design, permitting and environmental reviews.
Cybersecurity-related software and network protection.
Notably, Texas initially announced a NOFA for the state’s federal BEAD allocation in May. Federal incursions to the BEAD program, among other federal initiatives, delayed the process for most states, mandating a 90-day review period. The transition also required states to resubmit each BEAD proposal to align with the current administration’s goals.
Texas’ closure of the previous NOFA is intended to realign the state program with the White House’s new mandates, which are designed to speed up projects and funding delivery. While BEAD initially favored the deployment of fiber optic technologies, the White House’s mandates also provide expanded flexibility for developers and governments to utilize broadband technologies that are affordable, feasible and implementable.
Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels
The post Texas unveils $3.3B funding round for statewide broadband expansion appeared first on Government Market News.