November Newsletter
Updates
Farewell Steve!
The Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) is saying a huge THANK YOU and GOOD LUCK to our Chief Broadband Officer Stephen Cox as he leaves our office this month.
Beginning his career at the IBO in April 2023, he has shaped the office to what it is today. From just two employees to now 16, Steve has led the team to success in several of our grant programs including Next Level Connections, the Indiana Connectivity Program, and the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
"I am incredibly proud of our office and grateful for the relationships I've made with my colleagues and internet service providers around the state," Cox said. "Serving as the Chief Broadband Officer for the great State of Indiana has been a privilege and honor of my professional career. The success we've had is made possible by my wonderful team and the collaboration we have cultivated with the internet service providers to make sure every Hoosier has access to reliable, affordable broadband access. I know my team will continue to help make that happen with the BEAD awards to still be announced, and everything still to come. Thank you to everyone for your support and I will keep in touch!"
Steve's last day is November 26 at the state and he will be moving to South Bend, Indiana with his family.
Good luck Steve!
Resources available for BEAD Subgrantees' NEPA project milestone schedules
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has released resources for subgrantees to prepare a comprehensive NEPA and Permitting compliance framework for executing their BEAD projects.
Resources include; specific award conditions for NEPA/Permitting, a BEAD Milestone schedule that identifies and explains how subgrantees can plan to meet NEPA deadlines, and draft Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) Specific Award Conditions (SAC) and NEPA milestone schedule templates using the Environmental Screening and Permitting Tracking Tool (ESAPTT) dashboard to review and monitor subgrantee NEPA progress to support timely project implementation.
Find the entirety of the document here.
While the NTIA has not yet approved the awards for the Indiana BEAD program, we hope to hear something by the end of the year.
In the meantime, check out the IBO’s BEAD Final Proposal webpage, the BEAD Subgrantee Selection page and the NEW Permitting page to stay up-to-date on everything!
Stay tuned!
Permitting Resources page on IBO website
The IBO has put together a permitting resources page for BEAD subgrantees, but also anyone who is looking for county contacts across Indiana.
Use the interactive county map to find contact information on all county and city government offices.
Simply click on any county or choose from the dropdown menu to find contact information, permit applications, and other relevant resources.
This map streamlines your search for local information, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to work in a County or City's Right-of-Way.
Visit the Permitting webpage here.
If you are a local government entity that provides permitting resources, please email IBOPermitting@iot.in.gov and we will connect!
Indiana Connectivity Program Round 16 is open
The bidding phase for Round 16 of the Indiana Connectivity Program (ICP) is officially open and will run from October 20 through December 7, 2025.
ICP helps Hoosier residents and business owners, often in rural areas, obtain access to reliable broadband by assisting internet providers with the expense of extending its services to unserved and underserved locations of Indiana.
As of Round 15, the program has allocated over $14 million to provide service to 3,000 households, businesses, and community anchor institutions across the state.
Unserved or underserved home or business owners can apply to the program by entering their information into the Next Level Connections portal to initiate their interest in receiving broadband service. At least every three months, the IBO will publish to registered providers the addresses requesting service. Submitting location information into the portal does not guarantee extension of service.
If any provider is interested in participating in the Indiana Connectivity Program (ICP), they must contact the Next Level Connections/ Indiana Connectivity Program team at NLC@ocra.IN.gov. Providers can take a look at the Instructions document here.
Broadband providers must complete their projects within nine months of the contract date.
For more information, visit the IBO website.
Did you know?
A large portion of internet traffic is not human-generated, as bots and malware account for over 60% of all website activity.