October Newsletter
Updates
BEAD Program Update
The Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) submitted the Indiana BEAD Final Proposal to the National Communications and Information Administration (NTIA) on September 19, 2025, and we are currently completing curing requests.
Our expectation is for the NTIA to make all provisional awards final by the end of the year.
The IBO will then be announcing the internet service providers who won all project areas in the BEAD Benefit of the Bargain round.
In the meantime, check out the IBO’s BEAD Final Proposal webpage and the BEAD Subgrantee Selection page to stay up-to-date on everything!
Stay tuned!
Permitting Information for BEAD grants available now for providers
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) held a webinar last month outlining the permitting process for internet service providers after their BEAD grants are finalized.
For identifying which permits are likely to be necessary, NTIA has some mapping tools for grant recipients on navigating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and permitting reviews. They also provided guidance on the types of permits required for deployment, securing easements and rights-of-way, and accessing federal, state, and local lands.
Some tools at providers' disposal include the Permitting and Environmental Information Application which combines federal, state and environmental layers to improve easy site identification for permitting and the ArcGIS Pro Permitting and the Environmental Information Tool (APPEIT), which allows users to input a project area and identify the overlapping permitting layers.
Providers can use the above tools and NTIA's Best Management Practices (BMP) to minimize or mitigate potential impacts.
For environmental resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) developed the online Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) tool to assist proponents in identifying listed species and protected critical habitats within a project's boundaries. BEAD winners will also have to check that their projects won’t jeopardize endangered species or certain habitats under the Endangered Species Act.
The NTIA has also provided scoping tools that will be helpful for generating a comprehensive project description and map, something necessary for the NEPA permitting process.
Find all information about the permitting processes on the NTIA website here.
As previously mentioned in our last few newsletters, the IBO team is working on a webpage on the IBO website to maintain local government contact information for our internet service providers regarding permitting requirements.
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 15 awards announced, Round 16 open
This month, the IBO announced the results of the 15th round of the Indiana Connectivity program, awarding $654,676 to expand broadband access to Hoosier homes and business.
Awardees included 156 addresses across 30 counties. Of these, 149 are homes and seven are businesses. To find a list of providers granted funding, visit in.gov/indianabroadband/indiana-connectivity-program/.
The Indiana Connectivity Program 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.
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.
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?
Finland was the first country in the world to make broadband internet a legal right. The law, which went into effect in July 2010, requires telecom companies to provide a connection of at least 1 Mbps to every permanent residence and business.