Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program

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The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is Virginia’s opportunity to finish the job on extending broadband access and also make long-term, transformational investments into broadband affordability and adoption. With the $1.48 billion in BEAD funds for Virginia, DHCD is finalizing plans to extend broadband infrastructure to the remaining unserved locations without a funded solution for connectivity and designing programs to meaningfully address broadband affordability and adoption.

BEAD Application Development Webinar

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will host an application development workshop to further prepare broadband providers for the application phase of broadband deployment programs under Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

This workshop will include an in-depth review of the state-level BEAD program design in the Commonwealth, application process overview for deployment projects, scoring criteria and narrative requirements, as well required applicant certifications and documentation.

This 2-day workshop will repeat some of the content previously provided at the May 15th BEAD How-to-Apply workshop, and also provide new information, including a preview of the ZCTA application submission portal.

The 2-day workshop will be held on December 3rd from 1PM to 4PM and December 4th from 9AM to Noon. DHCD strongly encourages broadband providers interested in participating in the BEAD program to attend in-person. The workshop will be held at the Library of Virginia, 800 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23219. A virtual option will be made available via Microsoft Teams if demand for a virtual option is demonstrated. 

Registration is required to participate in this workshop. Register at this link.

A virtual meeting access link will be sent to representatives of organizations that cannot attend in person prior to the scheduled session.

BEAD Application Process Launched December 1, 2024

The BEAD Letter of Intent window in the Commonwealth of Virginia closed on November 30, 2024. The CAMS application portal opened on December 1, 2024 for applicants to start the narrative application. Please note, the ZCTA portal will open once NTIA has approved Virginia’s BEAD Challenge Process results. The ZCTA application portal will be open for no less than 60 days before the BEAD application deadline. This means that if Virginia does not receive approval of its BEAD challenge results before January 1st, the application deadline will be extended beyond March 1, 2025 to allow for 60 days with both application portals open. Beginning on December 1, 2024, all BEAD inquiries must be submitted in writing to broadband@dhcd.virginia.gov. To complete an application in CAMS, all applicants must register for a CAMS profile, which can be done at this link.


Beginning the application process now ensures that Virginia maintains its position as a leader in BEAD implementation and places broadband providers in the best position to maintain supply chains and labor crews focused on the Commonwealth as work continues on existing broadband deployment projects. 


The list of post-challenge BEAD-eligible locations is now publicly available on the Virginia Open Data Portal. This list of locations was updated on November 8, 2024 to reflect ongoing challenge curing between NTIA and DHCD. This list is provided in Location IDs in terms of FCC Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric Version 3.2. The Location ID number is provided, along with the Latitude and Longitude, as well as the service code. “0” is Unserved, “1” is Underserved, “2” is Served. The list of unserved, eligible Community Anchor Institutions will be posted at a later date. The list of locations is solely provided for planning purposes and will not be finalized until receipt of NTIA approval.


Please note that DHCD will not entertain changes to this draft post-challenge list, as the challenge process closed on March 18, 2024. The only exception is if an existing enforceable commitment for service (i.e. a previously funded area) is misrepresented on this preliminary list of challenge results. If any previously funded location is listed as unserved or underserved in this list of locations and has an enforceable commitment for service that meets the BEAD definition of qualifying broadband service, please notify DHCD as soon as possible via email to broadband@dhcd.virginia.gov. DHCD will announce the posting of approved post-challenge BEAD eligible locations upon receipt of approval from NTIA.

Virginia's Approved BEAD Plans

The Commonwealth of Virginia has received approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on all of the required BEAD planning documents. Check out these approved documents below!

Read the Commonwealth's BEAD Five Year Plan
Read Virginia’s Approved BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1
Read Virginia's Approved BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2

BEAD ELIGIBLE LOCATIONS

The BEAD Challenge Process began in November 2023 and concluded in March 2024. DHCD continues to work with NTIA to certify the results of the BEAD challenge process and set the locations eligible for the BEAD program. DHCD will issue an announcement once challenge process results are certified by NTIA, which will determine when the application process begins.

Once the BEAD Challenge Process results are certified by NTIA, DHCD will post shapefiles identifying BEAD eligible locations to the Open Data Portal. These locations will be in version 3.2 of the Broadband Data Collection Fabric, and be in three .csv files: (1) unserved locations, (2) underserved locations, and (3) unserved Community Anchor Institutions. These three files will include Federal Communication Commission’s Broadband Availability Map Fabric (“Fabric”) Location IDs of these locations. DHCD is not permitted to post full address information of these locations, per a CostQuest agreement which govern the use and sharing of Fabric Location IDs. To download Fabric Location IDs, with full associated physical addresses, broadband providers must secure a Tier D License from CostQuest to view the statewide fabric. Broadband providers should visit https://apps.costquest.com/ntiarequest/ to request this full Fabric and address list. Local governments and Non-Profits must secure a Tier E License from CostQuest to view the statewide fabric. These groups should visit https://apps.costquest.com/ntiatiererequest/ to request this full Fabric and address list. More information about his Tier D and E licensure requests can be found here.

BEAD Application Process and Resources

Once the BEAD Challenge Process results are certified by NTIA, DHCD will announce this certification and the start date of the BEAD application process. To help broadband providers prepare applications under the BEAD program, as well as to keep local governments and other stakeholders informed of the BEAD process, DHCD has made the resources available below. 

The documents provided below serve as technical resources for broadband providers submitting proposals under Virginia’s BEAD Program. These technical assistance materials are designed to help applicants navigate the specific federal requirements of the BEAD program. Additional technical assistance is available by emailing broadband@dhcd.virginia.gov.

To assist prospective applicants with staying up to date on evolving NTIA guidance, as well as to further explain some of the more complex points of the BEAD program to promote an open, fair, and transparent subgrantee selection process, the Va OoB has published BEAD Policy Notices on its BEAD website. The BEAD Policy Notices posted as of November 1, 2024 are listed below. Additional BEAD Policy Notices may be posted prior to and during the 90-day application window of the BEAD subgrantee selection process and prospective applicants are encouraged to frequently check for additional Policy Notices on this website.  

BEAD Policy Notices:

  1. Declining High-Scoring Awards, in Whole or In-Part based on Technical Capability
  2. Handling of Missing, Incomplete, or Non-Compliant Application Information
  3. Identification and De-Obligation of Non-BSLs Updated on December 2, 2024 to reflect new federal guidance
  4. Notification of Provisionally Selected Awardees
  5. Technical Assistance, Stakeholder Engagement, and Communications 

 BEAD Timeline

The following timeline includes the most up-to-date information available to the Office of Broadband. Additional details to this timeline will be added, as approvals are received from NTIA and application processes begin. 

July 25, 2024 – NTIA Approves Initial Proposal Volume 2

September 24, 2024 – Virginia Office of Broadband Announces Start of BEAD Application Process October 1, 2024 – Letter of Intent Submission Window Opens

60 Days Later – Letter of Intent Submission Window Closes; Application Window Opens TBD – NTIA Approves Challenge Process Results

90 Days After Letter of Intent Submission Window Closes or Challenge Results Approved, whichever is later – Application Window Closes

TBA – Office of Broadband Notifies Provisionally Selected Applicants

TBD – Office of Broadband staff Opens Applications for No-Bid Areas and Locations

30 Days Later – No-Bid Areas and Locations Application Window Closes

TBA – Office of Broadband Recommends Proposed Awards to Governor Youngkin

TBD – Governor Youngkin Announces Provisionally Selected Applicants

Approx June 2025 – Public Comment Period on Virginia’s BEAD Final Proposal

Approx. June/July 2025 – Submission of Virginia’s BEAD Final Proposal to NTIA

Contact Us

600 East Main Street, Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23219

804 371 7000 

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