The 30-day Public Comment Period is Open from November 15 to December 15
FloridaCommerce today announced that the 30-day public comment period for the State of Florida’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume I begins Today, Wednesday, November 15, 2023, and ends on Friday, December 15, 2023, at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time. Florida’s Initial Proposal Volume I is part of Florida’s plan to operationalize more than $1.6 billion in BEAD funding and it is available for review at FloridaJobs.org/Broadband.
In 2023, the state of Florida was allocated more than $1.16 billion through the federal BEAD program to facilitate the expansion of broadband Internet and service access across the state. Prior to launching the full program in 2024, Florida must first develop an initial proposal to be submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) by December 27, 2023. Florida’s initial proposal will be submitted through two volumes:
- Volume I addresses four BEAD requirements, including FloridaCommerce’s plan for the challenge process, identifying existing broadband funding, listing unserved and underserved locations throughout the state, and defining and listing Community Anchor Institutions.
- Volume II will address the remaining initial proposal requirements, including a description of the BEAD application process, non-deployment activities, and workforce initiatives.
The Office of Broadband will host a webinar to provide the opportunity for public input on the BEAD Initial Proposal for Volumes I and II on Wednesday, December 7, 2023, from 2:00-3:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Register to attend the webinar here.
Public comments on the Initial Proposal may be submitted to FloridaCommerce through Friday, December 15, 2023, at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time. Community members are encouraged to submit their comments via email to [email protected] or by mail to:
FloridaCommerce
Office of Broadband
The Caldwell Building
107 East Madison Street, MSC-400
Tallahassee, FL 32399
