BEAD Program Accelerates as 18 States Gain Final Approval
The BEAD program is finally entering a real deployment phase. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced that 18 states and territories have now received approval for their Final Proposals under the $42.5 billion BEAD program—marking the first substantial forward movement since last year’s policy overhaul.
The approvals collectively unlock nearly $9 billion in funding and are expected to reduce overall program costs by roughly $6 billion, according to NTIA estimates.
For the broadband industry, this is a turning point. For IPv4 market watchers, it is the beginning of the demand cycle many have expected once BEAD-funded construction truly begins.
Early Movers: 18 Plans Approved
The approved jurisdictions include: Louisiana, Wyoming, Iowa, Georgia, Arkansas, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, South Carolina, North Dakota, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island, Virginia, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Louisiana became the first state to go a step further, signing its award amendment and gaining immediate access to BEAD dollars under its GUMBO 2.0 program.
These states will form the first wave of BEAD-driven RFPs, network expansions, and last-mile deployments.
Why These Approvals Matter
A Real Start to BEAD Buildouts
For more than two years, BEAD has essentially been in neutral—tied up in mapping disputes, plan revisions, environmental reviews, and shifting federal rules. Approvals mean states can finally begin preparing procurement processes, provider scoring criteria, and build schedules.
This is the first real indication that BEAD-funded projects will start moving from planning to construction.
Billions in Savings Reshape Deployment Economics
NTIA estimates these early plans will collectively cut program costs by $6 billion. Nationwide, the agency expects up to $21 billion in total savings once all states finalize revisions.
These reductions come from:
- Removal of fiber-first preferences
- Tech-neutral selection criteria
- Elimination of high-cost regulatory requirements
- Incentives for lower-cost proposals
These changes directly improve the ability of smaller ISPs, WISPs, and rural providers to compete for BEAD-funded builds.
Potential for Leftover Funds
With billions potentially unused, research groups like the Advanced Communications Law and Policy Institute have suggested using excess funds for:
- Overrun protections
- A second grant cycle
- New digital equity programs
NTIA has not commented on future deployment of remaining funds, but the volume of projected savings creates new possibilities.
The Political Dynamics Behind BEAD’s Shift
The program continues to operate under sharply divided political narratives.
- Republicans argue permitting reform is essential to prevent multi-year construction delays.
- Democrats argue the revised rules have slowed fiber goals and weakened the program’s original vision.
But despite the disagreement, these approvals demonstrate a clear trend: the federal government is now moving BEAD forward more aggressively than at any point in the past two years.
Impact On the IPv4 Market
From the IPv4 Connect perspective, the timing matters.
BEAD-funded construction will not immediately translate into new IPv4 demand, but historically, IPv4 acquisition spikes occur 6–18 months before major network turn-ups as providers:
- Acquire additional addressing for last-mile service footprints
- Expand CGNAT pools and carrier infrastructure
- Build out regional POPs to serve new fiber or fixed-wireless territories
- Add addressing for middle-mile redundancy and transport networks
With 18 states now at the starting line, we expect:
- Pre-deployment address planning to begin in Q1–Q2
- Direct IPv4 acquisition demand to increase as RFPs go live
- A measurable market impact once states begin scoring provider proposals
In other words:
The approvals are not an immediate supply shock, but they are the first signal that BEAD will influence the IPv4 market sooner rather than later.
| State/Territory | Status | 2023 BEAD Allocation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | Final Proposal Approved | $1.48B | Joint state–federal coordination |
| Louisiana | Final Proposal Approved; Award Amendment Signed | $1.355B | Can begin accessing funds (GUMBO 2.0) |
| Georgia | Final Proposal Approved | $1.3B+ | One of 19 states above $1B |
| Arkansas | Final Proposal Approved | $997M | Heavy fiber emphasis |
| Montana | Final Proposal Approved | $629M | High cost per location |
| South Carolina | Final Proposal Approved | $551.54M | Rural-first priorities |
| Iowa | Final Proposal Approved | $415.33M | Rural clusters prioritized |
| Wyoming | Final Proposal Approved | $348M | Small but high-need |
| Maine | Final Proposal Approved | $272M | Rural and island focus |
| New Hampshire | Final Proposal Approved | $196.56M | Strong state match |
| Guam | Final Proposal Approved | $156M | Resiliency + military coordination |
| Hawaii | Final Proposal Approved | $150M | Undersea inter-island connectivity |
| Connecticut | Final Proposal Approved | $144M | Municipal builds prioritized |
| North Dakota | Final Proposal Approved | $130.16M | Strong existing fiber base |
| Rhode Island | Final Proposal Approved | $108M | Digital equity + last-mile infill |
| Delaware | Final Proposal Approved | $107M | Near-complete statewide plan |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Final Proposal Approved | $80M | Terrestrial + undersea mix |
| American Samoa | Final Proposal Approved | $37.56M | Satellite + subsea solutions |
| Total | $8.69B | Combined for 15 states + 3 territories |
More on BEAD and Broadband
- More of our recent stories about BEAD and public broadband programs
- For up-to-date information on the $42 billion BEAD Program, check Brander Group’s BEAD funding progress dashboard
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