Broadband, Commerce, General Waste, Internet, State Issues, States, Telecommunications

State BEAD Expected to Show Taxpayer Savings

August 22, 2025 Deborah Collier

States across the country are working to finalize their final Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding proposals to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration by the September 4, 2025, deadline. The state of Louisiana is leading the charge to close the digital divide as the first state in the nation to release its final draft proposal for its portion of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding application on August 8, 2025. This release was closely followed by Virginia and West Virginia each submitting their own final draft proposals.

According to Louisiana’s draft proposal, the changes made to the BEAD program have enabled the state to “realize approximately $250 million in savings through the Benefit of the Bargain award round, greater access for alternative technologies to participate, and reduced regulatory hurdles that often drive increased costs.” Virginia spotlighted savings of more than $200 million in federal funds “during the most recent application process for BEAD projects” that “leveraged fiber, cable, fixed wireless, and low Earth orbit satellite systems to best serve Virginians.” In West Virginia, the proposal anticipates that it will use its $625 million in BEAD and $37.5 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission, along with an additional $186 million from the grant awardees to serve 73,701 locations across the state. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey noted that “This historic investment will advance our work to attract new investments in our state, grow jobs, and make West Virginia the best state in the region to own and operate a business.”

As the deadline for final submission closes in, more states are expected to release their proposals as well and will hopefully find similar savings through their Benefit of the Bargain award rounds. While fiber options still retain a large portion of the proposals, opening the bidding to more technologies that better suit a state’s regional topography has helped move these savings forward.