Louisiana will be first state to roll out BEAD grants

The state of Louisiana is the first in the country to receive approval from the NTIA for its full initial proposal for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. That approval officially unlocks access to the state's allocated $1.3 billion and allows Louisiana to start selecting award subgrantees.

The news is significant, as it puts Louisiana well ahead of the rest of the country for BEAD progress. Both volumes of each state and territory's initial BEAD proposals are due to the NTIA by December 27, 2023, and most have yet to complete that process thus far.

The current BEAD timeline anticipates that most funding will start being distributed in late 2024/early 2025. But Louisiana is expected to now start distributing those dollars early next year. In accordance with the NTIA's BEAD timeline, Louisiana will then be required to submit a final proposal within one year of today's approval that details the outcome of the BEAD subgrantee selection process and how the state will ensure it delivers connectivity to all unserved and underserved locations.

"We will start executing on shovel-ready projects in 2024, and we will eliminate the digital divide in full by 2029 with affordable, reliable high-speed Internet," said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards during a press call Thursday.

Related:White House announces over $40B for broadband deployment

A model plan

Also on that call, NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson called out Louisiana's broadband office ConnectLA for being ahead of the game with BEAD every step of the way, and he referred to its BEAD plan (viewable here) as a model for other states.

"I'd like to congratulate the state for submitting such a sophisticated and high-quality plan, one that shows how the state will make high-speed Internet service available to everyone in every parish across Louisiana," said Davidson. "From their approach to workforce development to how they prioritize network resiliency in the face of extreme weather, Louisiana's initial proposal can serve as a model for other states and territories."

Notably, on workforce development, a growing concern as BEAD rollout approaches, the state's plan commits $30 million of its BEAD funds for broadband workforce training, with a goal of certifying 3,000 individuals by 2025, and 5,000 by 2027. The training is to be conducted in partnership with Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) campuses across the state.

Governor Bel Edwards further added that the funding coming into the state – between BEAD, American Rescue Plan funds and provider match – is enough to close the digital divide.

Related:The Divide: ConnectLA's Veneeth Iyengar on Louisiana's BEAD and digital equity plans

"The investment here to eliminate the digital divide will be in the neighborhood of $2.25 billion. We know that that's sufficient to be successful. We are going to get this done," said the governor. "I would encourage other states to at least take a look at our proposal and see if there's something that you can borrow from it."