Missouri’s Office of Broadband Development reported today that scoring and initial determinations for Round 1 of the state’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program process could result in preliminary awards for 150,712 eligible locations.
The state is not announcing who the winners are, however.
Missouri is set to receive $1.736 billion in BEAD funding. The OBD is part of the state’s Department of Economic Development. Their update noted that The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is reviewing the BEAD program at the federal level and that it expects guidance soon. It points to the 90-day extension that has been put in place pending possible changes.
The uncertainty surrounding the program has led OBD to refrain from providing details that under other circumstances likely would be available.
“Future guidance from NTIA may require amendments to Missouri’s BEAD program,” according to the update. “Therefore, OBD will not release details of preliminary awards, including the identity of preliminary awardees, or conduct the offer/acceptance process until the status of preliminary awards made under OBD’s approved program plan is confirmed.
“Applicants will not be notified of the areas where they will be offered an award until the offer/acceptance process begins. OBD will continue to update stakeholders as NTIA provides additional guidance.”
The OBD points to its Broadband Map as a way to access the information that is available. The map classifies locations as served, underserved, unserved, BEAD-eligible and non-BEAD-eligible.
The update says that the OBD is fine-tuning the Missouri BEAD project areas that will be available in Round 2 of the program.
Additional information about broadband in Missouri, including links to state funding resources and grants, awards made, BEAD news, state-specific Telecompetitor coverage, and more can be found on the Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
