State of Montana Newsroom
Gov. Gianforte Approves $308 million in BEAD Awards
32 projects that will cover more all unserved and underserved locations
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte recently approved $308 million in broadband deployment grants after receiving a report of the Communications Advisory Commission (CAC).
"Since taking office, we’ve worked with the Legislature to bridge the digital divide for unserved and underserved areas of Montana," Gov. Gianforte said. "Thanks to the work of the Communications Advisory Commission and the Department of Administration, we have taken another step toward making Montana a national leader in Internet connectivity.”
On Tuesday, CAC presented the governor with $308 million in Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding recommendations with a unanimous vote. The funding recommendations include 32 projects that will cover all 71,975 unserved and underserved locations in Montana with fiber, fixed wireless, and low-earth satellite technologies.
Thanks to new guidance from the Trump Administration, CAC and the DOA’s Montana Broadband Office were able to explore recommendations on a technology-neutral basis with an eye toward reducing costs. The proposed recommendations now await approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Upon NTIA approval, DOA will release grants to selected awardees.
"This a big step on what has already been a very long journey to deploy BEAD dollars in a cost-effective way to reach all 70,000+ locations still in need of high-speed internet. We are excited to submit our Final Proposal to NTIA for review and look forward to actually getting these funds deployed," DOA Director Misty Ann Giles said. "I know the Governor joins me when I say that this process would not have been possible without the incredible work of our Montana Broadband Office ConnectMT team and the dedication of the members of the Communication Advisory Committee and their unanimous support."
To find the CAC’s funding recommendations and learn more about BEAD, please visit ConnectMT.mt.gov.
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