NTIA issues final guidance for BEAD challenge process

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration released final guidance for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program's state challenge process.

The program's rules require that each state and territory include a BEAD "challenge process" in their Initial Proposal. In the challenge process, a unit of local government, nonprofit organization or Internet service provider may challenge whether a location or community anchor institution is eligible for BEAD funding, including whether a location has limited or no Internet service.

The final guidance is intended to help states and territories design and implement their BEAD challenge processes and includes a model for how a state or territory may choose to meet those program requirements.

NTIA sought public comment on the proposed guidance in April and incorporated feedback from those comments into the final guidance released today.

Read the full press release here.

NTIA