BEAD Reporting Requirements: What you need to know

The NTIA Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is scheduled to release funding on June 30, 2023. If you’ve applied for a grant from the BEAD Program, you already know how complex the paperwork required by the NTIA can be.

But wait, there’s more!

Soon after the grant funds have been awarded, reporting requirements kick in for both for state and grant recipients asking for a great deal of additional information.

Individual ISP reporting requirements

According to the US Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s document, Internet for All: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Draft Version 2.0 – Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Grant recipients have an extensive list of reporting requirements that must be reported to the state every six months—until the grant funds have been fully spent. In many cases, the current descriptions of what’s required are vague and will most likely be clarified at a later date, at which point, further requirements may be identified.

Additional state reporting requirements

It’s not yet clear exactly what the states will require from ISPs,  but it’s important to take a state’s reporting requirements to NTIA into account because it’s likely the states will request each grant recipient share the same information.

According to the NOFO, starting one year after getting the funding, then every six months:

• The State must describe to the NTIA how it expended funds.
• The State must describe each service provided with the grant funds.
• The State must describe the number of locations at which broadband service was made available using the grant funds, the number of those locations at which broadband service was utilized, and the comparative demographics of those served.

Stay on top of the details

We have created a BEAD Reporting Requirements Checklist to help you get a jump on the information you’ll need to provide. Key elements of the checklist include:

• Background on the requirements at both the ISP and the state levels
• A list of the known ISP requirements as published by the NTIA
• A space for each requirement to note where you’ll locate the necessary information or data.

The level of reporting required by the NTIA is greater than most companies are used to complying with in relation to grant funds—and it can seem overwhelming.

But you’re not alone— CHR is here to help ensure you’re in compliance from beginning to end.

CHR can help you sort through the details

With over 75 years of experience, CHR is a proven industry leader. We’re experts in GIS data and meeting broadband reporting requirements, as well expediting builds, decreasing labor costs, providing real-time forecasts, and increasing monetization to deliver broadband access to rural America.