Maryland State Plans for BEAD

This timeline shows the proposed 2025 steps for the Office of Statewide Broadband (OSB) to implement the BEAD program. Note: Dates may change depending on program updates. 

1. Policy Review
   1. June 6, 2025: NTIA released BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice
   2. June 6–13, 2025: OSB review of National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) policy notice
   3. June 6–July 6, 2025: Review and Submit Initial Proposal correction letter to NTIA
2. Data Updates and Public Notice
   1. June 6–24, 2025: Update eligible BEAD Locations to reflect latest Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Fabric and awarded locations
   2. June 13–20, 2025: Issue public notice to Unlicensed Fixed Wireless (ULFW) providers to submit credible evidence (7-day window)
   3. June 13–28, 2025: Incorporate valid ULFW rebuttals; finalize updated eligible location list
3. Final Proposal and Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
   1. June 14–July 22, 2025: Begin and continue drafting Final Proposal
   2. June 14–July 1, 2025: Finalize draft BEAD project areas for each county based on updated location data
   3. June 17–July 1, 2025: Review and revise list of Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs​) to conform to IIJA statutory definition
   4. June 14–July 5, 2025: Prepare and refine draft of Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) application package for subgrantees
   5. June 28–July 5, 2025: ​Integrate Final Proposal draft with updated scoring, and location details ​
   6. July 10, 2025: Publish NOFO and application materials
4. Application Period
   1. July 10–24, 2025: Application window open for subgrantees. Submission Deadline July 24
5. Application Review
   1. July 25–31, 2025: Apply 15% gating threshold and identify lowest BEAD outlay offers
   2. August 1, 2025: Notify applicants within 15% BEAD outlay threshold; allow optional revisions if requested by OSB​
   3. August 8, 2025: Revised Proposal Due- Only for applicants within 15% BEAD outlay threshold who were requested by OSB to revise their proposal.
   4. August 8–15, 2025: Evaluate revised proposals and finalize subgrantee selections
6. Public Comments and Final Proposal
   1. August 8–22, 2025: Public comment window on Final Proposal Draft
   2. August 15–​25, 2025: Finalize Final Proposal
   3. September 4, 2025: Submit Final Proposal to NTIA
   4. September 4–November 4, 2025: Await NTIA review and approval
7. Agreements and Awards
   1. November 7–December 1, 2025: Finalize grant agreements with subgrantees ​
   2. December 8, 2025​: Issue formal award notifications

BEAD Application Period: Opens on July 10, 2025, and closes on July 24, 2025.

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program represents Maryland’s final push to achieve universal broadband coverage. Building on earlier investments made through the American Rescue Plan’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and Capital Projects Fund (CPF), Maryland is now poised to close the remaining coverage gaps which are concentrated in rural, low-income, and difficult-to-serve areas.

• Portal Submission Guide​: Click-Path document with step-by-step instructions for submitting proposals through the portal.
• Final Proposal Locations
• Final Proposal Deployment Projects​
• BEAD Application Documents​ (Revised 7/11/2025)
  • Application Form FY25 Maryland BEAD Network Infrastructure-rev 2
  • BEAD NOFO and Application Guide
  • BEAD Applicant Attestations With Signature
  • Guide for Understanding BEAD Project Areas
  • Other Public Funding Template
  • Proforma-Template
  • Schedules F1 and F2-Deployment Milestones and Construction Budget
  • BEAD Unserved CAI
  • BEAD Unserved Underserved
• Supplemental Technical Questionnaire
• Draft Subgrantee Agreement

The Supplemental Technical Questionnaire was released to support the application and evaluation process. While it was not mandatory, applicants were encouraged to complete and submit this supplemental document along with their application.

The State of Maryland was awarded $267,738,400.71 by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband (OSB) is administering the State’s BEAD Grant Program. As part of the State’s preparation for this program, it is requiring all potential applicants to participate in a Prequalification phase. 

• Announcement of Prequalification Phase: February 13, 2025
• Posting of Pre-Qualification Materials on OSB Website (Pre-Qualification Guide, FAQs, and other templates): February 25, 2025
• Opening of Pre-Qualification Phase Window: February 28, 2025
• Pre-Qualification Submission Deadline: March 14, 2025
• Notice of Pre-Qualification Status and Notice to Proceed to the Full Application Phase: March 28, 2025 

Application Material: 

• Other Public Funding Template
• Model Opinion Pre-Qualification Legal Opinion
• Proforma Template
• Pre-Qualification Application Guide​
• Listing of Various Laws to Be Considered

We are pleased to announce that the results of our BEAD Challenge Process have been officially approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This approval marks a significant milestone in our efforts to expand connectivity within Maryland. 

The approved Post Challenge Process Location Data CSV and Post Challenge Process Eligible CAI CSV now serve as our final lists of unserved locations, underserved locations, and Eligible Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs). 

In alignment with the BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), these lists are being made public here. In the file 'Unserved and Underserved locations' 0 indicates Unserved and 1 indicates underserved. 

• Unserved and Underserved locations​
• Eligible CAI

On July 15, 2024, Maryland’s Office of Statewide Broadband (OSB) began the challenge process. This challenge process allowed internet service providers, units of local government, and non-profit organizations in Maryland to challenge the accuracy of existing broadband maps. Ensuring the maps accurately reflect broadband availability and speeds across the state is critical to directing federal BEAD program funds where they are needed most. 

BEAD Broadband Challenge timeline: 

• Challenge Submission Deadline: September 10​, 2024
• Rebuttal Phase: September 11, 2024 - October 10, 2024
• Final Determination: October 11, 2024 - November 10, 2024 

Documents: 

• User Guide​
• BEA​D Challenge Portal
• Challenge Portal Instructions
• BEAD Public Announcement
• BEAD Challenge Webinar​
• BEAD Challenge FAQs​
• Challenge​ Process Supplemental Guide​ 

Pre-challenge process locations -​ This data was used during the challenge process. It includes the ID of the location and the current Status of the location. For more information this data should be paired with the licensed NTIA-Costquest fabric.

Initial Proposal Volume 1 and Volume 2

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (“BEAD”) program provides federal funding to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs. 

The BEAD Plan Initial Proposal documents that were o​pen to public comment included Initial Proposal Volume I and Initial Proposal Volume II. 

The BEAD Plan will serve as Maryland’s State Plan establishing its commitments and strategy to support broadband projects over the next five years to close the digital divide in Maryland. The Initial Proposal presented the state’s implementation of the plan.

Public Notice: Comment Period Closed for BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1 and Volume 2

From November 1 to December 2, 2023, all Maryland residents were encouraged and invited to read the draft BEAD Initial Proposal to share their feedback and recommendations. The Office of Statewide Broadband has received and reviewed these comments. 

• BEAD Five-Year Action Plan (for reference only, no public comment solicited)
• BEAD Initial Proposal Volume I​
• BEAD Initial Proposal Volume II​ 

While the public comment period is now closed, you may still share feedback and relevant comments or questions to ​[email protected]​ov.