Tag Archives: BEAD

A glimpse at the provider POV: 7 steps to get ready for the next BEAD challenge process

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This may be applicable to some readers, but I thought it might be interesting for those of us who don’t work for a broadband provider. Ready has come up with seven steps to prepare for the next BEAD challenge process. BEAD being the big federal funding program that has shifted gears several times in the last two years.

There have been many articles about what those changes have made to the state offices of broadband development, and we’ve heard from Minnesota Office of Broadband Development about the process multiple times. Today, a glimpse at the provider point of view…

NTIA’s Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice requires every Eligible Entity to run an additional BEAD challenge and application round to reach remaining unserved locations. The remaining unserved locations resulted from defaults in federal or state broadband funding programs, such as RDOF, locations misreported as served in previous versions of the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program, unfulfilled planned service challenges, and locations new to the Fabric.

And the steps

1. Build your preliminary list now
2. Inventory your state and local enforceable commitments
3. Set your evidence standard before the challenge window opens
4. Set up your challenge and adjudication process now
5. Confirm your budget and procurement path early
6. Prepare for the second Benefit of the Bargain round now
7. Run BEAD 1.2 alongside your existing BEAD work

Get ready before the clock starts

Office of Broadband Development Update Sep 23 2026: BEAD, Line Extension, Task Force notes and Digital Skill Resource

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From the Office of Broadband Development…

Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates

  • OBD, in the field!
  • Broadband Task Force, September meeting recap
  • 25 Hours. One Connected World: A live global digital skills marathon expanding opportunity for all
  • Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates
  • Line Extension Connection Program, registration open for residents and businesses

OBD, in the field!

OBD staff have been busy continuing to perform site visits across the state for the Border to Border Broadband Grant Program and the Line Extension Connection Program to ensure infrastructure grant compliance and connect with grantees.

Since June, the team has gone on site visits for grantee projects with providers from Arvig, MiEnergy Cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications, Woodstock Telephone Company, Meeker Coop Light and Power Association, Lismore Cooperative Telephone Co., Runestone Telecom Association, East Central Energy (ECE), Midco, Benton Cooperative Telephone Company, and Albany Mutual Telephone Association.

Additionally! Stream OBD’s Executive Director Bree Maki’s podcast episode with Connected Nation, which explores Minnesota’s broadband journey, the challenges of connecting communities across the state’s diverse landscape, and the lessons for other states as they enter the next phase of broadband deployment. Available online here: https://bit.ly/4h7F1I7.

Governor’s Broadband Task Force, September meeting recap

The Governor’s Broadband Task Force met last week, Wednesday September 16 and heard presentations from Amy Baldwin (Community Development Director, CDA & HRA Executive Director, Otter Tail County) and John Horrigan ( Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society), as well as updates from OBD’s Bree Maki (Executive Director). The Task Force subgroups also met to discuss work on the upcoming annual report.

Information on upcoming meetings in 2026, well as past meetings, can be found on the Broadband Task Force webpage.

25 Hours. One Connected World: A live global digital skills marathon expanding opportunity for all

Connected Nation, longtime vendor and partner of OBD, is partnering with over 25 global organizations in a first-ever attempt to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the “longest internet literacy live stream,” aimed at expanding digital skills access worldwide.

This event, “25 Hours. One Connected World,” will run September 24-25, featuring 25 consecutive hours of live, expert-led digital skills training accessible globally as it follows the sun across six continents, starting in the United States, via live stream at bit.ly/CNWorldRecord beginning at 8 a.m. CT.

Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates

OBD is continuing to work through required project scope changes and preparing contracts for execution. Updated information and resources can be found on the OBD BEAD webpage including:

On September 3, 2026, the NTIA announced a new BEAD Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice that introduces an updated process for BEAD implementation. OBD continues to wait for NTIA to release additional information, including details on timelines, and states will provide further updates and resources as available to keep partners and providers informed. Currently, the estimated timeline (subject to change from NTIA) is:
PIC

Providers and community members can contact OBD at DEED.broadband@state.mn.us with questions on BEAD.

Line Extension Connection Program, registration open for residents and businesses

Registration remains open for residents and businesses for future rounds of the Line Extension Connection Program.

For assistance completing the application, or to request a paper form to complete, please call 651-259-7610 or email DEED.broadband@state.mn.us.

More information and registration are available on the Line Extension Connection Program webpage.

BEAD Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice – from the MN Office of Broadband Development

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From the Office of Broadband Development…

BEAD Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice

On September 3, NTIA released the BEAD Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice, establishing a second “Benefit of the Bargain” round. This is a “clean‑up” process to address remaining gaps in broadband coverage caused by provider defaults, past mapping inaccuracies, and changes in the FCC Broadband DATA Maps.

This update introduces a Supplemental BEAD Eligible Location List, built from Fabric Version 8, and requires states to run a challenge process and submit awards through a Supplemental Deployment Plan.   It is our understanding that this list is only locations NTIA provides us and does not allow for states to add locations we have data to show to be eligible.

NTIA notes that this action is limited to this round; additional uses of BEAD funding (labeled as Non-deployment) will be addressed in future guidance.

Funding Impact

NTIA will set an upper funding limit for each state based on: Average BEAD cost per location (Final Proposal) × number of newly identified unserved locations. Our average for our approved final approval was $5,200 per location.  ​At this time, we are at around 40% of the BEAD locations will be getting less that state statutory broadband (LEO’s and Fixed Wireless).

States may request a waiver for additional funds under “extraordinary circumstances,” and may need to submit budget modifications depending on the outcome of the challenge and award process. We have already put in waiver requests for BABA compliant products and cost increases due to supply chain issues, however, NTIA has not provided any responses at this time.

Next Required Steps for States

The Supplemental Notice sets out a strict sequence:

  1. NTIA issues the Supplemental Eligible Location List (Fabric v8).
  2. 30 days for state review and validation.
  3. Abbreviated 30‑day challenge window, posted within 7 days of review completion.
  4. 30 days to adjudicate challenges.
  5. 90‑day second Benefit of the Bargain round for procurement.
  6. Submission of a Supplemental Deployment Plan and any waiver requests, followed by NTIA’s 90‑day review window.

Current state of BEAD in Minnesota

  • 1 contract signed (electric cooperative) and have an estimated total to date of around 90 contracts with 20-24 providers for NOW ONLY 63,000 locations. (A solid additional 8% was removed per NTIA requirements because they are considered served via wireless or cellular or even DSL.)
  • Several more in NTIA curing or pre‑contract negotiations.
  • Minnesota has active NEPA submissions, with some projects already under review.
  • Construction cannot begin until NEPA Decision Documents + OBD Notice to Proceed.
  • Deadline for contracts + tribal consent: October 8, 2026 (90 day extension is currently requested)
  • Cost increases and supply chain; minimal benefit from NTIA’s supplemental BEAD location round, frustrations with the program, locations eligible are not within “NTIA’s cost approval model .

Minnesota Implications and Assessment

The ongoing uncertainty and frequent changes in NTIA guidelines have led numerous preliminary awardees to withdraw from the program, citing mounting worries about rising costs, supply chain issues, and stringent program requirements. These cumulative challenges have significantly impeded Minnesota’s progress in broadband expansion efforts.

Meanwhile, the OBD team continues to work tirelessly, providing support to active providers and maintaining communication with constituents still awaiting broadband deployment. Despite our efforts, the federal nature of the program—administered through the state with limited decision-making authority—poses significant obstacles.

A look at another BEAD Round and the changing BEAD map

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Broadband Expanded reports…

Following NTIA’s announcement of another round of BEAD, we estimate remaining locations and funding caps based on the latest available data.

Here’s what they found…

  • The number of locations still eligible for BEAD has fallen 69% since funding was initially allocated, extending the 65% decline we reported in July 2025. None of this is BEAD’s doing as ISPs have not sat idly by waiting for funding from this program.
  • Looking only at the locations that needed BEAD in December 2022, 79% are now served, are no longer serviceable locations, or are covered by a federal program other than BEAD.
  • Round One’s projects have been overtaken by this ceaseless buildout. 69% of projects receiving funds via BEAD Round One now have more than a fifth of their locations receiving 100/20 service, and 89% have more than a fifth at 25/3.
  • Looking ahead to BEAD Round Two, we estimate that 1,041,099 locations will appear on NTIA’s supplemental lists.
  • Further, we estimate that the amount of supplemental funding that will likely be made available by NTIA to serve these locations could be anywhere from $5.3B to $8.8B. An exact figure depends on several variables, notably whether provider matching funds count toward NTIA’s “average cost per location.” Dipping into remaining BEAD will reduce BEAD “savings” by 25% to 42%, leaving $12.2B to $15.7B unspent.

 

Office of Broadband Development Update Sep 9 2026: Upcoming Task Force meeting, digital opportunity, BEAD and Line Extension updates

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From the MN Office of Broadband Development…

Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates

  • Broadband Task Force, September meeting plans
  • Digital Opportunity updates
  • Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates
  • Line Extension Connection Program, registration open for residents and businesses

Broadband Task Force, September meeting plans

The Broadband Task Force will meet Wednesday September 16 at 10 a.m. CT. This meeting will be held virtually and is open to anyone from the public to attend. Information on this upcoming meeting, including the Teams link to join, as well as past meetings can be found on the Broadband Task Force webpage.

Digital Opportunity updates

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to review the E-Rate Program, information from the FCC available on the Federal Register. Additional resources include:

Additionally, on the federal news of the reinstatement of the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, Benton Institute recently published The Tight Clock for Reopening the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. At this time, our office has not received updated guidance from NTIA regarding whether state’s Digital Equity Capacity funds or related grants may be reinstated.

As OBD continues to navigate ongoing developments please feel free to reach out to our office with questions at DEED.broadband@state.mn.us or by phone at 651-259-7610.

Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) updates

OBD is continuing to work through required project scope changes and preparing contracts for execution. Updated information and resources can be found on the OBD BEAD webpage. The NTIA must approve project scope changes and has informed OBD the review process can take several weeks. The current federal contracting deadline is October 8, 2026.

On September 3, 2026, the NTIA announced a new BEAD Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice that introduces an updated process for BEAD implementation. States are actively reviewing this new guidance to better understand its implications. As NTIA releases additional information, including details on timelines, states will provide further updates and resources to keep partners and providers informed.

BEAD mentions in the news include:

Providers and community members can contact OBD at DEED.broadband@state.mn.us with questions.

Line Extension Connection Program, registration open for residents and businesses

Registration remains open for residents and businesses for future rounds of the Line Extension Connection Program.

For assistance completing the application, or to request a paper form to complete, please call 651-259-7610 or email DEED.broadband@state.mn.us.

More information and registration are available on the Line Extension Connection Program webpage.

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association asks for flexibility with new BEAD funding round

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The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) announces…

NRECA CEO Jim Matheson today issued the following statement after the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) announced a new round of Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program funding to be made available for states to address locations that may remain unserved.

“BEAD’s initial investment is failing rural America. Delayed implementation, shifting guidance, cost constraints and unrealistic funding assumptions have slowed progress, discouraged participation and weakened a historic opportunity to bring long-overdue broadband service to rural communities. Directing further investment under the same misguided approach will not deliver universal connectivity to rural America.

“NTIA must allow flexibility for cost increases created by program delays, align funding levels with the actual cost of deploying broadband infrastructure in America’s hardest-to-reach communities and remove fatally flawed pole attachment rules that clearly break from long-standing federal policy. Without correcting course, BEAD risks leaving rural America behind.”

More than 200 rural electric cooperatives across the U.S. are working to bridge the digital divide. NTIA and State Broadband Offices are important partners in amplifying these efforts and expanding access to affordable broadband in rural areas.

Minnesota Releases Draft Proposed Federal Broadband Funding Package

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From the Department of Education and Employment Development…

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today released the state’s draft final proposal for using federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds to expand broadband availability.

The proposal would extend broadband access to 75,000 Minnesota homes and businesses, covering every location eligible for BEAD funding in the state. DEED is accepting public comment on the proposal for seven days, after which it will finalize and submit the plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval before the end of the year. Construction could begin in late spring or early summer 2026.

“Fast broadband will be a welcome resource for the thousands of Minnesota residents and businesses who will soon have access,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “This funding will help us connect thousands of Minnesota families and businesses to the internet in new, important ways.”

DEED’s proposal will use an estimated $381 million in federal BEAD grants and utilize a mixture of broadband technology, with more than half of covered locations utilizing fiber optic. Eligible locations are classified by the BEAD program as unserved (with broadband speeds slower than 25 megabits [Mbps] per second download and 3 Mbps upload) or underserved (with speeds slower than 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload).

“We are excited that 75,000 Minnesotans will soon have faster broadband because of BEAD,” said Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Bree Maki. “We are grateful to our internet service provider partners for their hard work and commitment to the Minnesotans we all serve. We will continue working hard, together, to make smart, effective investments so every Minnesotan can access broadband.”

The Office of Broadband Development will host regional, in-person informational sessions on the draft final proposal over the next week. These sessions will provide an overview of the proposal, steps for public comment and next steps for BEAD in Minnesota.

NTIA Opens a Second Round of BEAD Funding

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Benton Institute for Broadband and Society reports…

On September 3, 2026, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice to allow states, territories, and the District of Columbia (known collectively as Eligible Entities) to access additional BEAD funding to address locations that may remain unserved due to defaults in other federal and/or state programs, misreporting by providers, and other changes to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) broadband DATA maps since the completion of their federally approved deployment plans (called “Final Proposals”). Adhering to the requirements of this new guidance will likely add nine months or more to the BEAD process.

The policy notice matters to a wide range of stakeholders:

  • State broadband offices now have a defined, time-limited process and a hard funding ceiling for reaching locations that fell through the cracks since they finalized their Final Proposals.
  • Internet service providers gain a new, abbreviated opportunity to challenge which locations are added to this second round, but the evidentiary bar is explicit and higher than a provider’s mere claim of service.
  • Digital equity and rural advocates might note what this notice does not do: it does not touch the broader question of how states can use the roughly $21 billion in savings NTIA says the program generated for anything other than reaching unserved locations. NTIA says other (“non-deployment”) uses “will be addressed in subsequent guidance.”
  • Policymakers and researchers get a window into how NTIA is managing the gap between the FCC’s evolving broadband maps and the funding decisions NTIA already locked in with states.

State Broadband Offices, including in Minnesota, are waiting for guidance on BEAD funding

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KOSU Public Radio reports...

State officials are waiting for guidance on how they can spend billions of federal dollars earmarked for rural broadband projects.

The federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD, Program is meant to help states connect far-flung places to high speed internet. Congress allocated about $42 billion for BEAD in 2023 through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It was the largest investment in federal broadband infrastructure in the nation’s history.

They spoke with the MN Office of Broadband Development…

Minnesota received $652 million through BEAD – which is not enough to connect the rest of the state, said Bree Maki, the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development’s executive director. She’s waiting for instructions for how she can spend about $270 million.

“We also know that weather in Minnesota is a big factor and so, just trying to maximize the construction season and when the non-deployment comes out, you know, we’ll deal with it,” Maki said. “We have always worked hard to meet deadlines and the requirements in front of us. I wish I could predict that, because then I would go hit the lottery up.”

She’s also unsure how an executive order on artificial intelligence signed by President Donald Trump last year might impact access to the leftover BEAD money. The order says that states with “onerous AI laws” are ineligible for the funds, but that definition remains unclear, Maki said.

There has been frustration with BEAD, but Maki said the mission of getting even one person connected to reliable broadband keeps her office motivated. Her state has other broadband projects in the works too, and she is confident they will keep moving forward.

“Sometimes, I think, in all the noise we forget how meaningful that is,” Maki said.

 

GAO recommends FCC and NTIA work more closely with underserved areas and focus on sustainability

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The GAO (Government Accountability Office reports…

Federal agencies target funding to underserved areas using FCC mapping data showing which locations do and do not have broadband access, as reported by providers. To improve data accuracy, FCC accepts challenges from the public and makes updates if needed. Some program participants and stakeholders said this challenge process was burdensome and unclear. For example, challenging a
large number of locations in an area could be difficult for smaller communities and providers with limited resources. Without targeted outreach to smaller communities and providers to address such difficulties, FCC may not be able to obtain the most accurate information about broadband availability and therefore may not be able to effectively identify and target funding to underserved areas.
As one of the largest programs focused on broadband deployment GAO reviewed, BEAD holds great potential to make broadband available to areas that have been underserved. GAO has previously reported on issues providers face in high-cost areas, including financial sustainability. In October 2025, NTIA announced a requirement that BEAD providers certify that they will not accept federal funding from other sources for broadband deployment and operations costs for locations funded by BEAD for at least 10 years. This provision is intended to ensure that BEAD projects are financially self-sustainable without additional federal funding. NTIA’s BEAD documentation for states and territories states that there may be a basis for them to request certain data from providers. However, NTIA did not detail the circumstances that could warrant such a request. By providing more details, NTIA would help states anticipate potential
problems and prevent service lapses to underserved areas when providers cannot continue providing services due to financial issues.

Getting into specifics…

Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected – Federal Communications Commission
Recommendation – The Chair of FCC should conduct targeted outreach to smaller participants (such as local and tribal governments and providers), to identify and address difficulties they have experienced completing the bulk Broadband Data Collection challenge process. (Recommendation 1)

Agency Affected – National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Recommendation – The NTIA Administrator should provide information to NTIA’s partner states and territories on when and why to request additional information from BEAD subrecipients, to monitor and support their ability to remain financially sustainable in offering affordable broadband during the 10-year federal interest period. (Recommendation 2)

Doug Adams reports on final BEAD dollars and technology

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Broadband.IO reports…

Now that the last final proposal is approved, we’re finally able to tally just how much of the BEAD dollars will be deployed for direct connections and how much is non-deployment… or ‘savings’ as the NTIA continues to call them.

  • Total BSLs designated connectivity through BEAD: 3,739,925
  • BEAD funding approved by the NTIA using BOB guidance: $18B
  • Non-deployment dollars: $22.5B
  • Percentage of originally designated IIJA/BEAD dollars allocated: 44.25%

Will the workforce be ready for building data centers and rural networks when BEAD projects hit the streets?

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RCR Wireless News reports…

The US has two infrastructure priorities converging on one scarce resource: people who know how to build networks. AI data centers are sucking skilled workers into a construction boom, just as the long-delayed BEAD initiative finally starts moving into deployment. And actually, it is not just about the fiber technicians; the same labor pool includes electricians, HVAC specialists, surveyors, trenchers, engineers, and other trades needed to build broadband networks. The numbers are already uncomfortable. The industry was estimated in 2024 to be short around 58,000 workers to meet BEAD’s goals. AT&T plans to add 3,000 technicians this year. Meta has its own fiber-training programme. Meanwhile, the US telco workforce has fallen from 1.4 million in 2001 to fewer than 598,000 in 2025.

There is a stark economic imbalance here, of course. A hyperscaler or major carrier building AI infrastructure can afford recruitment, training, and wages that smaller community-based broadband operators cannot. Every worker pulled toward a lucrative data-center project is potentially one less available for a rural fiber build. And this is before the AI construction boom really peaks. Economist Anirban Basu expects labor pressure to worsen in 2027 as AI infrastructure spending expands. So the irony is clear: America’s AI infrastructure boom could make it harder, slower, and more expensive to deliver the connectivity needed by Americans still waiting for broadband.

Broadband Breakfast looks at the Farm Bill, economic impact and BEAD in Minnesota

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The Daily Yonder posts an article from Broadband Breakfast’s Drew Clark about broadband in rural areas. It starts with a look at the impact of the Farm Bill on Reconnect funding…

The current fight [related to the Farm Bill] between the House and Senate over SNAP funding levels has been the loudest obstacle to passage, and proved to be the case on Thursday. But tucked inside the Farm Bill’s rural development title is a provision that governs the future of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect broadband program.
eConnect has provided more than $4.4 billion in loans and grants for rural broadband deployment since 2018, reaching some of America’s most remote and expensive-to-serve communities. The House Farm Bill, passed in April by a narrow 224-200 margin, would make ReConnect permanent.

But the House version sets minimum project speeds at just 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 25 Mbps for uploads. And it restricts eligibility to areas lacking 25 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads for service. Critics say that – as with previous broadband programs such as the Connect America Fund deploying broadband at 10 Mbps for downloads and 1 Mbps for uploads, such low thresholds would doom Rural America to a lower tier of service.

The proposed Senate version takes a more ambitious approach. In addition to making ReConnect permanent, it would use higher required speeds and broader eligibility. At a previous hearing on the topic before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Jesse Shekleton, director of Broadband Operations at Jo-Carroll Energy pushed for the higher speed standard. “Demands for bandwidth on farms will continue to grow,” he said

The Farm Bill also matters for broadband beyond ReConnect. Both the House and Senate versions would codify technical assistance for rural broadband planning and include provisions preventing ReConnect from overlapping with the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grant program of the U.S. Commerce Department.

Looks at economic impact…

Broadband and rural economic development was the subject of Wednesday’s Broadband Breakfast Live Online discussion. In it, panelists said that broadband has become the price of admission for a rural community rather than a growth strategy on its own.

Well-connected rural counties post 18% higher per capita income and roughly 210% higher business growth than underserved peers, according to a Center for Rural Innovation study cited by Bartlett Cleland, executive director of the Innovation Economy Alliance.

And there’s a look at BEAD in Minnesota…

But being approved [for BEAD] is not the same as being built. Minnesota’s projects will reach 74,739 locations with $378.9 million in federal money and nearly $190 million in matching funds. The state must place its remaining initial projects under contract by Oct. 8. Getting the first one signed took more than 18 rounds of revisions with federal reviewers.

And often, the fights are over poles. Electric cooperatives, which own much of the existing pole infrastructure in rural America and are well-positioned to build broadband alongside it, are finding BEAD’s pole attachment rules onerous. Two co-ops said they turned down tentative BEAD awards entirely because compliance costs made the projects unworkable. 

NTIA, however, has defended this pole-attachment policy as necessary for deployment.

MN OBD’s Bree Maki talks about impact of inflation on BEAD at the Mountain Connect conference

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Broadband Breakfast reports...

As Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program projects begin to get underway, rising project costs could be a potential pain point.

“We are seeing this across the board with providers,” said Bree Maki, executive director of Minnesota’s broadband office. She spoke at the Mountain Connect conference here in Denver.

Applicants bid for grants under the $42.45 billion BEAD program nearly one year ago, and under new Trump administration rules that prioritized cost-efficient builds. In the meantime, inflation has continued apace and AI companies’ demand for American-made fiber has grown.

There’s hope for some iteration of the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

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Benton Institute for Broadband and Society reports on the federal funding that supported the adoption side of the BEAD access goal…

Cities, counties, nonprofits, libraries, community colleges, and workforce organizations waiting to learn whether the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program is coming back now have a glimmer of hope, albeit a soft one. In a joint status report filed in a federal court on August 3, 2026, the Department of Commerce said it “presently targets a December 2026 opening date for the Competitive Grant Program application.” The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Commerce agency that runs the program, is “currently preparing a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO),” the document that announces a federal grant competition, sets the rules, and opens the application window.

Three things in that sentence matter to anyone who applied in 2024 or plans to apply next time. The date is a target, not a court-ordered deadline. The NOFO will be new, not a revival of the 2024 process. And nothing in the filing addresses what happens to the more than 700 applications NTIA already has in hand.

The article goes on to give a brief history of the funds and suggest the next chapter…

In the days and weeks ahead, stakeholders might want to keep the following in mind.

August 17, 2026. The next joint status report, which should reveal whether NDIA accepts a stay, and whether the parties will brief mootness.

The Federal Register. The Department of Commerce attributes part of its timeline to Paperwork Reduction Act notice periods. A notice from NTIA seeking comment on the application package would be public confirmation that the NOFO is moving. The law also allows for emergency processing and reliance on existing clearances, so the absence of a notice would not by itself mean the December target has slipped, but its appearance would be the first independent evidence that it hasn’t.

The four-year clock. Grants under this program must be expended within four years of award, with a fifth year available only for measurement and evaluation. An application window opening in December 2026 means awards land, at the earliest, well into 20272—more than five years after the Digital Equity Act became law.