The National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Thursday announced it had approved Texas’ spending proposal for its piece of the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.
When BEAD award allotments were announced in 2023, Texas was to receive the highest allocation of any state or territory, at more than $3.3 billion, (followed by California at $1.9 billion and Missouri at $1.7 billion.) But following program changes in June that required states to retool their proposals for cost savings and technology agnosticism, and to conduct another round of project bidding, Texas’ proposal dropped to $1.25 billion for deployment. (The issue of nondeployment funds, which cover costs like digital literacy training, has yet to be settled.)
“They say everything is bigger in Texas, and we certainly saw that with the effort put forth in their BEAD Final Proposal,” NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth said in a press statement Thursday. “Texas worked incredibly hard to deliver the Benefit of the Bargain — ensuring a fair evaluation of diverse technologies while securing over $2 billion dollars in savings. The fact that we were able to approve the plan 22 days after submission speaks volumes about the strength and thoughtfulness of Texas’ proposal—and NTIA’s ability to get things done quickly. We look forward to seeing Texans benefit from universal connectivity.”
According to the state’s plan for how it will connect its 242,903 under- or unserved locations to high-speed internet, it plans to serve just over half of those locations with fiber broadband, 22% with fixed wireless and about 27% with low-Earth orbit satellite services. Internet service providers are expected to provide matching funds of nearly $600 million to complete the projects under the program, the state’s plan says.
The approval brings the total of number states and territories that have received the NTIA’s blessing to 19. The NTIA announced Tuesday that 15 states and three territories had their proposals approved. So far just one state, Louisiana, has had its grants cleared by BEAD’s grants manager — a separate process — and has received access to funds.
“Broadband infrastructure is essential to ensure all Texans – urban and rural – have access to fast, reliable internet,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news release. “I thank the Trump Administration and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for their support of Texas’ efforts to expand broadband access throughout our state. Texas’ BEAD approval will enhance the lives of Texans in every corner of the state through faster communication, access to information, and telehealth opportunities. Through affordable and reliable access to high-speed internet, Texas will help students learn, businesses grow, and communities thrive.”
Written by Keely Quinlan
Keely Quinlan reports on privacy and digital government for StateScoop. She was an investigative news reporter with Clarksville Now in Tennessee, where she resides, and her coverage included local crimes, courts, public education and public health. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Stereogum and other outlets. She earned her bachelor’s in journalism and master’s in social and cultural analysis from New York University.