September Updates
The Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) has submitted the Indiana BEAD Final Proposal to the National Communications and Information Administration (NTIA).
We expect the NTIA will take a few months to cure our Final Proposal submittal, and during this time, our office will be reaching out to providers affected by these curing changes.
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 to stay up-to-date on everything!
Stay tuned!
Where was the IBO this month?
Chief Broadband Officer Stephen Cox joined Governor Mike Braun, Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide, Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders, Dr. Roberto Gallardo, Executive Director of Pike County Economic Development Corp. Ashley Polen Willis, and Heather Day, VP of Field Operations at Charter Communications, at the Spectrum Broadband Forum on September 8
The Broadband Forum: Beyond the Build was held at the Parklands of Jasper in Jasper, Indiana, and brought local leaders, state officials, industry experts, and community partners to collaborate on ways to continue advancing digital access and leveraging connectivity for lasting impact.
We were honored to join!
Coming Soon: Permit Resources on our website and NTIA Webinar
As previously mentioned in the August newsletter, the IBO team will begin working on a webpage to maintain local government contact information for our internet service providers around the state regarding permitting requirements.
If you are a local government entity that provides permitting resources, please email IBOPermitting@iot.in.gov and we will connect!
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will be hosting a public webinar on permitting focused on deploying broadband infrastructure projects on Tuesday, September 30 from 3-4 p.m. CT. Register here.
The webinar will review resources available to NTIA grant recipients and how to leverage NTIA’s streamlining tools to navigate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and permitting reviews. It will provide guidance on the types of permits required for deployment, securing easements and rights-of-way, and accessing federal, state, and local lands. The webinar will also highlight tools to reduce potential delays and support successful broadband deployment.
Indiana Connectivity Program & Next Level Connections Update
The Next Level Connections (NLC) Broadband Grant Program is designed to provide funds for the deployment of broadband infrastructure to provide eligible broadband service to the unserved, which include households, businesses and community anchor institutions, such as schools and health clinics, across Indiana.
In total, rounds one through four of the program awarded over $328 million across 88 counties to provide broadband access to more than 102,000 homes and commercial locations. A map marking all four rounds can be found here.
Starting in October, the team will be conducting quarterly meetings to review NLC until the close of the grant next year. The Indiana Connectivity Program is a state-funded grant that can help many one-off locations get connected around the state. ICP Round 16 of the ICP Challenge Phase officially launched on September 22, 2025 and will run through October 4, 2025. The team is actively evaluating bids from ICP Round 15.
Did you know?
The first-ever registered domain name was Symbolics.com, which was registered on March 15, 1985. The site is still online today and maintained by an internet investment company.