Welcome Back to Broadband Heroes: Cheers to 2025!

Happy New Year and welcome back! After a brief holiday hiatus (even heroes deserve some time with family), we’re excited to kick off 2025 with fresh energy and purpose. This year, Broadband Heroes is ready to continue shining a spotlight on the progress, innovation, and inspiring stories driving broadband connectivity forward. Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or simply passionate about bridging the digital divide, we’re thrilled to have you along as we share new updates, successes, and opportunities to empower communities everywhere.

News Updates: What’s the Buzz in Broadband?

The broadband landscape continues to evolve, bringing both challenges and opportunities. Here’s a quick skim of the latest must-know headlines:

• Grant-Funded Broadband Expansion Transforms Rural Communities: Grant-funded initiatives are driving broadband expansions across rural areas, closing the digital divide. These transformative projects aim to connect underserved communities with reliable high-speed internet, fostering economic growth and digital inclusion.
• Oklahoma Broadband Office Launches High-Speed Internet Expansion: North Central Oklahoma takes a giant leap toward digital equity with the Broadband Office's latest high-speed internet expansion project. This initiative promises to enhance connectivity for residents and businesses, boosting regional development.
• Broadband and Infrastructure Priorities Take Center Stage in Kendall County: Kendall County focuses on broadband expansion and office renovations as top priorities for the upcoming year. Enhanced internet infrastructure aims to support local growth, education, and accessibility.
• Michigan Opens Federal Funding Applications for Broadband Development: Michigan prepares to accept applications for federal funding to expand high-speed internet infrastructure in January. This move aims to improve connectivity across the state, empowering communities with enhanced access to digital resources.

Stay in the loop—follow us on LinkedIn for daily updates.?

Jade's Corner: What's Jade Up to This Week??

Happy New Year!

?While many of us are just now emerging from the holiday fog, staff at the NTIA have already had a productive first week of 2025 with a pair of consequential announcements.

?Firstly, the long-awaited final guidance on BEAD Alternative Technology was released January 2nd, paving the way for unlicensed fixed wireless (ULFW) and low earth orbit (LEO) providers to participate in states’ BEAD subgrant processes.

?While speculation abounds about how this policy guidance will impact BEAD grants, Louisiana, Nevada, and Delaware have already published provisional BEAD awards that provide insight into states’ broadband investment strategy.

?Louisiana set aside ~2% of its BEAD-eligible locations for alternative technology, while Nevada provisionally awarded nearly 10% of eligible locations to LEO provider Project Kuiper. Delaware did not award BEAD funds to alternative technology. The vast majority of the state’s $107 million BEAD allocation will be used for non-deployment (digital equity and? workforce development) purposes.

?Secondly, the NTIA announced on January 6th round one awardees of funding from the $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant program. Awards totaling nearly $250 million went to 24 organizations to expand digital skills training. If you’ll remember, however, last November Chairman Cruz of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation called into question the constitutionality of the “covered population” premise upon which this program was based. Stay tuned to see if these awards can withstand the political winds.

?Looking forward: Will the NTIA sign off on LA, NV, or DE’s BEAD Final Proposals before January 20th? It appears that all the credit for Biden’s signature broadband infrastructure program will go to the next administration.

Your Turn: What’s Your New Year Broadband Resolution?

As we ring in the new year, we want to hear from you—what’s your broadband resolution for 2025? Faster speeds to power your goals? A rock-solid connection for your remote meetings? Or maybe finally saying goodbye to buffering during your favorite shows?

Share your New Year broadband resolution with us, and who knows—your idea might be featured in an upcoming newsletter! Let’s make 2025 the year of seamless connectivity.

Reply to this email with your resolution—because everyone deserves the best broadband experience!

Reply there with your resolution—let’s make it happen together!

Exciting News! Episode 41 of Our Broadband Heroes Podcast is Here!

This episode, titled Connecting Communities: The Fight for Digital Equity with Education SuperHighway, is a game-changer for anyone passionate about closing the digital divide. Join co-hosts Nick and Jade as they welcome the innovators from Education SuperHighway, a nonprofit that’s rewriting the playbook on digital equity by providing free Wi-Fi to underserved communities.

Why Tune In?

• Inspiration: Learn how Education SuperHighway transitioned from connecting schools to empowering households in public housing, making digital access a reality for thousands.
• Innovation: Dive into their groundbreaking work as "pro bono telecom consultants" and their pivotal role in programs like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
• Real Talk: Discover how they tackle systemic challenges like affordability gaps and outdated broadband maps with practical, forward-thinking solutions.

Why It Matters: Every episode of Broadband Heroes amplifies the voices of trailblazers driving change in broadband connectivity. By listening and sharing, you’re supporting a platform that sparks conversations, inspires action, and drives real-world impact.

Get Involved: Are you a changemaker in broadband? We’d love to hear your story. Apply to be a guest on a future episode of Broadband Heroes here.

Don't miss this chance to join the movement for digital equity. Let’s bridge the divide—one household at a time. Tune in now!

Until Next Time, Heroes!

As we charge ahead into 2025, remember that every small step in expanding broadband access brings us closer to a more connected and equitable world. Whether you're working on the ground, strategizing in the boardroom, or simply cheering from the sidelines, your efforts are part of something bigger. Stay tuned for more stories of impact, innovation, and inspiration in our upcoming editions.

And don’t forget—heroes thrive when we share ideas and learn from each other. So, if you have a story, success, or challenge worth sharing, we’d love to hear from you. Until then, keep championing connectivity, and we’ll see you next time in Broadband Heroes!