Montana will be the first state in the nation to open its Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) application portal.

On August 1, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) had given final approval to Montana’s BEAD proposal, allocating nearly $629 million to increase the state’s connectivity.

 “This generational investment for Montana’s communities can’t wait any longer,” Gianforte said. “Montana moved quickly to put together an application for the BEAD program, and tomorrow, we are taking the first steps to get the funding out the door. By bridging the digital divide, we’re expanding access to good-paying jobs, high quality education, and affordable health care for Montanans across the state.”

The Governor welcomed the news, adding this brings his administration’s total investment in expanding broadband connection to nearly $1 billion. 

Gianforte was among the first governors in 2023 to express interest in applying for a BEAD program planning grant. Montana Department of Administration Director Misty Ann Giles said there have been challenges to getting areas of Montana online, and this is going to help.

“BEAD funding provides a unique opportunity to meet these challenges, expanding broadband to unserved and underserved areas of Montana,” said Giles.

The state of Montana now has one year to launch the grant application, receive grant applications from Internet providers, and send selected proposals to the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval. 

Those interested may submit main-round applications to the Montana Broadband Office’s (MBO) ConnectMT portal beginning August 13. The close date for applications will remain October 15, 2024. The application and additional resources can be accessed at ConnectMT.mt.gov.

Upon signing their grant application, selected providers will have four years to deploy broadband services to Montanans in unserved and underserved areas.