New Hampshire is receiving $196.5M in BEAD grant funds to improve broadband infrastructure throughout the state.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in May 2022. The BEAD Program provides eligible states, territories, and the District of Columbia (“Eligible Entities”) the opportunity to receive federal grant funding to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs. The New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) will use this funding to bring high-speed broadband to the unserved and underserved locations in the state.
As part of the BEAD process, the BEA Office of Broadband Initiatives is required to produce four milestone documents that describe various processes the State must complete to receive and allocate the $196.5M in received grant funds.
Five-Year Plan – approved by NTIA on January 31, 2024. This document serves as a needs assessment and outlines the goals and priorities of broadband expansion for the State of New Hampshire
Initial Proposal Volume I (IP VI)* - documents the specifics on how New Hampshire planned to run its BEAD Challenge Process; a requirement of BEAD to identify the eligible unserved and underserved locations of New Hampshire. IP VI was approved by NTIA on March 11, 2024
Initial Proposal Volume II (IP VII)* - details the subgrantee selection process. IP VII was approved by NTIA on June 3, 2024.
Final Proposal – in progress. This document will outline how the Office of Broadband Initiatives allocated BEAD funding. The Final Proposal must be submitted to NTIA no later than one year after IP VII approval.
*Subject to compliance to
BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice issued June 6, 2025.
Subgrantees must deploy the planned broadband network and begin providing services to each customer that desires broadband service within the project area no later than four years after the date on which the subgrantee receives subgrant approval from the NH Governor and Council (G&C). Subgrants are expected to be presented to G&C in early 2026 for approval
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Office of Broadband Initiatives - Reporting Program Fraud, Waste, and Abuse**