The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the final BEAD proposals for both Alaska and Washington, according to recent updates. The approvals are now reflected on NTIA’s BEAD dashboard, and four entities remain awaiting final clearance: California, Oklahoma, Washington D.C., and Illinois.
In Alaska, an update from the Alaska Broadband Office explains that the program will move next to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where NIST will develop Alaska’s Grant Agreement and then issue a formal approval to the state via a Notice of Award (NOA) Amendment. Subgrantees are expected to receive notice once the amendment is in place.
Washington’s news was celebrated by the Washington State Broadband Office, with WSBO Director Jordan Arnold calling the approval a milestone in the state’s work to close the digital divide. The state estimates 238 BEAD project areas lie in underserved or unserved locations across Washington, and the next steps include contracting and beginning construction for projects that will deploy fiber, fixed wireless, and low-earth orbit satellite solutions.
The approvals underscore BEAD’s broader objective of expanding broadband access to rural and underserved communities, a goal echoed by state officials and industry observers as contracting and construction timelines take shape across the remaining approved proposals.
As Alaska and Washington move into the next phases of procurement and buildout, observers will watch how the BEAD program translates funding into new connectivity, educational opportunities, and economic growth for communities that have long been left behind.
