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The Wyoming Broadband Office (WBO) leads programs to expand broadband across the state, supporting every citizen to access affordable, reliable, and future-proof broadband.
WBO is currently in the planning phase for $348M in grant funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). These dollars will be used to support broadband infrastructure grants to Wyoming’s broadband providers.
To access the BEAD funds, WBO must first develop a detailed plan, referred to as an Initial Proposal, that demonstrates how (at a minimum) all unserved locations in the state will be connected to broadband by the end of the program. NTIA will review this plan, and once approved, WBO may begin implementation. WBO is developing the Initial Proposal in two phases.
The WBO and our partners are hosting three webinars regarding the upcoming BEAD Challenge Process. The Challenge Process is an important part of the BEAD program as it will determine the locations and Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) that are eligible for BEAD funding.
Challenge Process Overview Webinars for Providers and Nonprofits, Local Government
We will provide an overview of the Challenge Process including the three phases of the challenge process, who can submit challenges, and the types of permissible challenges. We will also give an overview of the Challenge Process portal and discuss pre-registration.
Please Note: These webinars will be similar in content but focus on different audiences. Choose the session that best fits your needs.
Challenge Portal Technical Assistance
This session will be presented by Ready.Net and will review the Challenge Process portal functionality.
For companies and agencies that anticipate applying for BEAD funding for broadband infrastructure, we highly recommend completing a pre-qualification application. BEAD pre-qualification applications will request information to support minimum BEAD eligibility requirements regarding financial and organizational capability as well as compliance certifications.
To support applicants as they prepare their applications, we’ve added a pre-qualification checklist to our website. Check out this useful tool at the link below.
Note: This is not a comprehensive list and additional information may be required.
Initial Proposal Volume II describes how WBO will distribute its allocated BEAD funds to achieve Wyoming’s objectives, in compliance with State and federal requirements. Initial Proposal Volume II specifies how WBC will use its allocation to achieve State and Federal goals around broadband deployment, including outlining a deployment subgrantee selection process, which will take place in 2024. Initial Proposal Volume II also details the State’s plans to comply with federal requirements around promoting affordability of the deployed broadband, ensuring workforce readiness, and monitoring/reporting, among other items. Stakeholders interested in learning more about Initial proposal Volume II requirements are encouraged to review the Initial Proposal Guidance published by NTIA.
The public comment period ended November 17th. The WBO will review and consider all submittals. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
The first phase is a plan for the state-run Challenge Process, which will take place before WBO makes grant awards. During the Challenge Process, broadband providers, nonprofits, and municipalities can “challenge” the status of a preliminary list of unserved and underserved locations, including Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs), if they believe locations do or do not have the designated speed of broadband available. WBO is proposing to adopt NTIA’s Model Challenge Process. Stakeholders may find out more and read about it on NTIA’s website.
Volume 1 includes all locations that are currently unserved or underserved and all CAIs that are known or estimated to have less than a 1 GB symmetrical connection.
The Broadband Office has completed a draft of the Challenge Process, sought your feedback thru September 21, 2023 and is no longer accepting feedback for this process.
Joanne Hovis, president of CTC Technology & Energy and a contractor working with the Wyoming Broadband Office, recently discussed the challenges of deploying broadband infrastructure in Western states like Wyoming in an Ask Me Anything! episode.
She noted that the allocation formula used for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has resulted in significantly less funding for Western states compared to their Eastern counterparts.
“(In) Western states, the allocation formula was really challenging for them,” Hovis said. “Wyoming got just over $300 million and think about the size of Wyoming and the complexity of all those mountains and smaller population doesn’t mean it’s cheaper or easier to build there.”
Q: When will WBO open its BEAD grant program?
A: To be determined. NTIA must first approve WBO’s Initial Proposal, Volume 1. Once approved, WBO will run the approved Challenge Process. WBO must also submit Volume 2, which is due to NTIA no later than December 27, 2023. Once NTIA approves Volume 2, WBO can open the subgrantee application process.
Q: How much funding is WBO receiving through the BEAD grant program?
A: Wyoming expects to receive $348M.
Q: Will this funding be enough to deploy broadband across the state?
A: To access the funding, WBO must present a plan to serve all locations without service today, defined as anything less than or equal to 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up. The BEAD program requires a preference for fiber, but will also allow other technologies when fiber is not feasible. WBO may award funds for a mix of technologies, including, but not limited to fiber, licensed fixed wireless, HFC, unlicensed fixed wireless, and satellite.
Q: What is the difference between the BEAD program and Connect Wyoming 2 (CPF)?
A: Connect Wyoming 2 (CPF) is underway currently and uses funding awarded by the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund. There are similarities between the programs, but NTIA and Treasury maintain different rules and timelines.
Follow this link to participate in the Wyoming Agency Asset Inventory Survey.
Follow this link to participate in the Wyoming Digital Access Program Inventory Survey.
Follow this link to participate in the Wyoming Workforce Development Opportunity Survey.
Follow this link to participate in the Wyoming Community Anchor Institution Broadband Access Survey.
Follow this link to participate in the Wyoming Covered Populations Broadband Barriers Survey.
Follow this link to participate in the Wyoming Internet Service Provider Engagement Survey.