Arizona’s Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) Program represents the state’s largest broadband investment in history with the principal objective of universal broadband for all. BEAD prioritizes unserved and underserved households to improve connectivity, support economic growth, enhance education and improve health care access throughout Arizona. The goals under the BEAD Program are:
Pre-registration is now open and required for all broadband providers looking to participate in the BEAD program. All Round 1 BEAD subgrantee applicants are strongly encouraged to complete pre-registration before the Subgrantee Application window opens on December 20, 2024. Learn more.
In accordance with the BEAD program requirements, the Arizona State Broadband Office intends to complete its deployment by 2030.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ vision is to provide dependable and affordable high-speed internet services to every community and access to the necessary digital skills, so every resident can full participate in a digital world. The Arizona State Broadband Office has developed the BEAD Five-Year Action Plan to serve as a guide to identify and deploy the state's historic broadband investment.
The state is committed to providing universal broadband for all. The BEAD Five-Year Action Plan outlines the following goals under the BEAD Program.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS:
UNIVERSAL CONNECTIVITY:
21ST-CENTURY WORKFORCE:
AFFORDABLE INTERNET:
DIGITAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION:
The Arizona State Broadband Office released for public comment Volume I and II of the BEAD Initial Proposal. Volume I outlines existing broadband funding within Arizona and the list of the locations designated as unserved and underserved in the FCC National Broadband Map, Arizona's Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) as defined by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the proposed plan for the BEAD challenge process.
Volume II outlines the long-term objectives for deploying broadband, closing the digital divide, addressing access, affordability, equity, and adoption issues, and enhancing economic growth and job creation including information developed in the Five-Year Action Plan.
Arizona was awarded $993.1 million in federal funding to build infrastructure and expand internet access in rural and historically underserved communities. BEAD funds will be prioritized in the following order:
The BEAD Program requires that the State Broadband Office allow stakeholders to challenge the accuracy of BEAD-eligible locations. Confirmation of locations that currently lack access to high-speed internet is essential for funding to be used to connect these areas. The Challenge Process provides an opportunity to correct inaccuracies in Arizona’s broadband map, ensuring it reflects the most up-to-date broadband access across the state.
As of September 2024, the State Broadband Office has submitted all BEAD Challenge Process data to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and is awaiting feedback. Once approval is provided, the final list of BEAD eligible locations will be made publicly available through the Arizona Navigator Portal.
Per the NTIA guidelines, only the following entities can submit challenges:
CHALLENGE PROCESS FILES:
Datasets that are used to support the BEAD Challenge Process
CHALLENGE PROCESS INFORMATION MATERIALS:
Documents that provide an overview of the challenge process and how to participate
BROADBAND NAVIGATOR USER GUIDE:
A technical document for navigating and interactive with the challenge portal
REQUEST A COSTQUEST LICENSE
Participating entities are encouraged to request a no-cost NTIA Tier D or Tier E license from CostQuest Associates to participate in the BEAD Challenge Process. However, obtaining a CostQuest license is not required to participate. This license will permit licensees to view the BSL data on a more granular level and is an important tool for analyzing areas that may need to be challenged. Please note that the process to request a license may two up to two weeks to complete.
Review the NTIA Fabric Licensing FAQ to learn about the licensing process and determine the appropriate tier license for your organization.
Tier D
Entities that participate in any federal broadband programs, including entities with reporting requirement or entities that plan to participate in the BEAD sub-granting process, should request a Tier D License. Internet service providers, for example, should request a Tier D license. Licensees will be similar to those with an FCC Fabric Tier 2 license.
Use this guide for requesting an NTIA Tier D to assist in completing the application process.
Tier E
Entities that participate in the challenge process, but do not participate in federal broadband programs, should request Tier E license. Nonprofit organizations, for example, should request Tier E license. Licensees will be similar to those with an FCC Fabric Tier 4 license.
Use this guide for requesting an NTIA Tier E to assist with completing the application process.
Arizona's BEAD Subgrantee Application process includes two round of applications:
All BEAD Applicants must complete pre-registration prior to submitting an application for either round. It is strongly recommended to complete pre-registration before December 20, 2024.
Round 1
Round 2
The BEAD Application webinars are intended for potential applicants applying for Arizona's BEAD Program subgrant. The agenda includes an overview of the BEAD Program, an explanation of the Application process, and instructions for how to submit an application. These sessions will include a provision for questions-and-answer segment.View Webinars
The ACA conducted Market Sounding exercise from September 23, 2024 to November 7, 2024. During this period, the ACA collected industry feedback and comments on the draft Project Areas from internet service providers and local governments. Feedback and comments received are being thoroughly reviewed and the draft Project Areas may be adjusted to ensure that all eligible locations within the state are served efficiently.
Arizona was awarded $993.1 million in federal funding to build infrastructure and expand internet access in rural and historically underserved communities. BEAD funds will be prioritized in the following order:
The BEAD Marketing Sounding Exercise, which will run for 45 calendar days from 9/23/2024 to 11/7/2024, was designed is to solicit feedback on the Initial Project Area draft for the BEAD Program, ensuring it aligns with the connectivity needs of all Arizona communities. Through gathering input, the State Broadband Office seeks to make any necessary adjustments to better serve the goal of improving internet access across the state.
The BEAD Market Sounding Exercise is not a requirement of NTIA, but a commitment by the State Broadband Office to continually ensure transparency and feedback loops throughout the BEAD Program.
BEAD Eligible Subgrantees may participate, which includes local governments, nonprofit organizations, tribal nations and communities, and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). These participants are invited to comment on the Initial Project Area Draft as registered users in the
Arizona Broadband Navigator.
Please note that the ‘pending’ links above are not final. In curing, each data update uses newer FCC maps for true-up and deduplication, which slightly impacts the results. The final list of BEAD-eligible locations will be posted after NTIA approval is received.
Designed as virtual roundtable discussions for Tribal Communities, Local Government and Internet Services Providers, these regular webinars help the Arizona Commerce Authority engage with communities, answer questions about BEAD and highlight any new policies.
General Q&A session for BEAD Eligible Applicants in need of assistance with Pre-Registration.
General Q&A session for BEAD Eligible Applicants in need of assistance with Pre-Registration.
