On Monday, President Biden and Commerce Secretary Raimondo announced the state top-level allocations for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) broadband program. New Jersey is reported to receive $263 million in BEAD funding. The BEAD grant program will be administered by states in accordance with the statutory requirements set by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The totals for each state were determined based on data from the FCC’s new National Broadband Map
Specific projects are not included in this announcement. The state is required to prioritize unserved areas that lack 25/3 Mbps service and underserved areas lacking 100/20 Mbps service before funding projects in any other locations.
The Office of Broadband Connectivity (OBC) in the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) is working in conjunction with the Broadband Access Study Commission to develop a report of recommendations for addressing gaps in broadband access and deployment for the State of New Jersey. They hosted a Local Coordination Workshop earlier this year, with League staff participation, and the recording and presentations are available for viewing. Steps in the next six months include the state putting together a plan for sub granting of the funds, which must be approved by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) prior to disbursal. States are required to coordinate with local governments.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., Associate General Counsel, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.