Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
DC's Subgrantee Selection Process
The BEAD Program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by NTIA, is a historic investment of $42 billion to expand high-speed internet access across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. This funding focuses on connecting unserved and underserved communities through infrastructure deployment and adoption initiatives.
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DC has been allocated $100 million in BEAD funding to support broadband infrastructure projects and digital empowerment efforts across the city. With NTIA’s approval of DC’s BEAD Initial Proposal Volume II, the DC State Broadband and Digital Equity Office (SBDEO) is now moving forward with the subgrantee selection process. This process will award funding to support both infrastructure deployment and non-deployment initiatives aimed at closing the digital divide. ​​​
Access to, and adoption of, reliable broadband is essential to full participation in the community and economy. A reliable broadband connection enables work, learning, healthcare, and more equitable access to government services. In the District of Columbia, the need for broadband infrastructure investment is deepest in Wards 7 and 8 –those areas within DC which have the lowest broadband adoption rates and highest rates of poverty according to American Community Survey (“ACS”) data, and the NTIA’s publicly available Indicators of Broadband Need Map. OCTO/SBDEO proposes to address this need by coordinating resources from the BEAD grant to effect transformative, equitable, sustainable, and achievable improvements in DC’s broadband infrastructure primarily in Wards 7 and 8, while also executing Digital Equity related non-deployment activities.
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Both the deployment and non-deployment subgrantee selection will occur in two phases:
Phase 1: Pre-Application
Prospective applicants must complete a Pre-Application to demonstrate their administrative, financial, organizational, and technical capabilities. DC SBDEO will review these submissions to determine which applicants qualify for the next phase.
Phase 2: BEAD Project Application Period
Applicants who qualify from the Pre-Application Phase will be invited to submit full proposals during the RFA phase. Notifications will be sent once the application period opens.
DC'S BEAD Timeline
Key Milestones
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December 8, 2022 – NTIA awards DC $5 million in BEAD Planning Grant Funds
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November 16, 2023 – Public comment period opens for DC’s BEAD Initial Proposals Volume 1 and 2
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December 21, 2023 – DC SBDEO submits draft BEAD Initial Proposals to NTIA
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April 8, 2024 – NTIA approves DC’s BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1
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May 9, 2024 – NTIA approves DC’s BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2
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December 10, 2024 – DC’s BEAD Challenge Process completed
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February 7, 2025 – DC SBDEO releases the BEAD Deployment Pre-Application for ISPs to bid on high-speed internet infrastructure deployment
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February 21, 2025 – DC SBDEO releases the BEAD Non-Deployment Pre-Application to advance digital inclusion initiatives
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May 9, 2025 – DC SBDEO submits final subgrantee selection and BEAD final proposal to NTIA
The DC State Broadband and Digital Equity Office (SBDEO) is proud to share our progress on closing the digital divide.
View our Volume 1 & Volume 2 Initial Proposals
under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
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