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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced it approved North Dakota's final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which was a product of the fully-paid-for-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Approval of North Dakota’s proposal makes it one step closer to being the first state in the nation to be 100% connected with reliable, high-speed internet.
“Not only does approval of North Dakota’s final proposal unlock new opportunities across the state, that’s a given, but it really opens the door to a more connected future which is everything,” said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). “Thanks to the hard work of President Trump, our providers, the state partners, and thanks to all of those folks, our state is now on track to be the first state with 100% connectivity. None of this progress would be possible without our entrepreneurs, it starts with them, our cutting-edge technology delivered by those entrepreneurs, and of course the innovative spirit and the pioneering spirit of North Dakota.”
The state utilizes allocated funds through the BEAD program to expand access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet service. These funds will be used for infrastructure deployment projects and other initiatives to help bridge the digital divide.