LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Federal officials have approved Nevada's initial proposal as plans move forward to add more internet infrastructure across the state.
Last June, officials from the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration said Nevada will receive $416,666,229.74 to "deploy affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service."
On Thursday, the Commerce Department announced they have approved Nevada's initial proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD program, which detailed how state officials play to use that money to deliver high-speed Internet access to "all unserved and underserved locations within their borders."
It is an issue that has received bipartisan support.
"Every Nevadans deserves access to an affordable high-speed Internet connection. Approval of Nevada's BEAD Initial Proposal is a critical next step in achieving our goal of statewide high-speed connectivity," Gov. Joe Lombardo said. "We look forward to continuing our work with NTIA to quickly deploy these funds to bring better connectivity to the Silver State."
"Internet connectivity is essential for Nevadans' daily lives and I've worked across the aisle to increase high-speed Internet access for every household in our state," Senator Jacky Rosen said. "I was proud to have created this program and secured historic funding for Nevada, and I’m glad to see it move forward to connect more households to high-speed internet."
“Broadband is essential to connecting Nevadans with the jobs, education, and opportunities of the future,” Senator Catherine Cortez Masto said. “I am proud to have supported the creation and funding of the BEAD program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I’m pleased to see this progress, and I’ll continue working with the state of Nevada to close the digital divide in every corner of our state.”
According to Brian Mitchell, the Director of the Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology (OSIT) and the State of Nevada's Broadband Office, said state officials got as much public feedback as possible to put together a plan.
"We traveled over 3,000 miles across the state. We visited every county in Nevada twice and held over 130 meetings with over 1,000 Nevadans," Mitchell said. "We also distributed online and paper surveys that reached about another 1,000 Nevadans."
Mitchell said the main concerns they heard is that Internet is important to have a better quality of life.
"What we heard from all corners of the state was two-fold. For Nevadans that are unserved or underserved, they desperately need high-speed and affordable Internet so their kids can access online learning, so they can access healthcare, and services like processing credit card transactions ... Many Nevadans also need a little bit of extra help affording the extra cost of their Internet service."
Mitchell added that state officials didn't see a particular area that had bad Internet access.
"I don't know if we necessarily measured who has the worst internet service but there are unserved communities in all parts of Nevada," Mitchell said. "[There are] some [in] the most rural and remote areas but there are also pockets near the urban areas of Nevada. Our goal and our process is making sure we don't leave anyone behind. We'll make sure we bring the right kind of internet infrastructure so you have that reliable internet connection."
So what happens next?
According to Mitchell, OSIT has to complete the work that was set out in the Volume 1 proposal, which determined which locations were underserved and would be eligible for BEAD funding.
"It's ongoing and should be completed in the next couple of months," Mitchell said. "The initial proposal of Volume 2 is to lay out the process for selecting subgrantees."
Mitchell said the question he gets the most often is when the high-speed Internet and infrastructure will be built, live, and bring connectivity to cities.
"The answer is complex. But generally speaking, as soon as possible. We've tried to move as fast as we could. We must receive NTIA approval following the conclusion of the Challenge process for locations that are and aren't available for funding. Once the subgrantee process concludes, OSIT will submit a final proposal to NTIA, which described how we implemented the initial proposal, how we selected subgrantees, and our plans to connect everyone to the Internet. Then, we'll be ready to put shovels in the ground and start deployment," Mitchell said. "We're really proud to be among the first states approved. That will help us get folks connected as soon as possible."
