Final Application Round for $1.16 Billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Funding Now Open to Expand Affordable, High-Speed Internet Connections Across the Commonwealth

Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration are moving quickly to close the digital divide and connect every Pennsylvanian to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) Executive Director Brandon Carson announced the second and final round of applications for the Commonwealth’s $1.16 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is now open through August 1, 2025. BEAD is a federal grant program that provides states with funding to deploy broadband infrastructure and connect residents to the internet.

Eligible applicants include cooperative organizations; not-for-profit organizations; public-private partnerships; private companies; public or private utility companies; public utility districts; municipalities or units of local government; and internet service providers registered through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

“No matter where you live in the Commonwealth, having reliable access to high-speed internet is crucial – which is why programs like BEAD ensure that more Pennsylvanians can work, learn, and access the health care they need,” said PBDA Executive Director Carson. “With support from local government leaders and other partners, we are ready to invest in the infrastructure that will close the digital divide and deliver long-term benefits to communities across Pennsylvania.

This is the final round for applications, which provides 14 days for eligible entities to apply for funds to construct high-speed internet networks in the Commonwealth through PBDA’s BEAD program. Following this round, the PBDA will evaluate the applications and provide a final proposal outlining each of the selected recipients and projects. This final proposal will be open for public comment for 7 days prior to its submission to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). PBDA will announce the final awards later this year after they are accepted by the NTIA.

Funds can be used for physical improvements; long-term leases; multi-family residential deployment; planning, design, and engineering; personnel costs; and network software upgrades. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount for any project — projects require a minimum 25 percent share of the total project cost in matching funds.

The BEAD program, established in accordance with the NTIA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity, NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, and Act 96 of 2021, utilizes funds allocated to Pennsylvania through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

This past January, Governor Josh Shapiro and PBDA Executive Director Carson visited the Cambria County Library in Johnstown to highlight the Shapiro Administration’s progress in providing more residents with affordable high-speed internet access. In addition to $1.16 billion in BEAD funding, the PBDA approved $45 million in Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program grants for 49 projects in 27 counties across Pennsylvania last year to provide high-speed internet at public facilities such as schools, local libraries, and community health centers.

The Commonwealth has also awarded $204.1 million in federal funding through the  Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) for projects to bring high-speed internet to over 100,000 Pennsylvanians in 42 counties across the Commonwealth that currently have no service or struggle with poor service and $20 million to provide technology devices such as laptops for distribution to schools, libraries, municipalities, workforce training organizations, and other non-profits who can make them available to individuals that lack the technology needed to access the internet.

Updated resources for applying to the BEAD program, including webinars and FAQs, can be found on the PBDA’s BEAD Program Page.

Visit the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority’s website to learn more about its work to close the digital divide in the Commonwealth.

For more information about the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

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