Two more states announced tentative spending plans under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, bringing the total to 45.
The states, Missouri and South Dakota, will take public comment on their draft proposals for one week each before submitting them to the Commerce Department for approval. That approval is the last step necessary before states can start signing contracts with grant winners and funding projects under the $42.45 billion program.
Most states took comments and submitted their plans by Sept. 4, the deadline Commerce gave states in June when it handed down new rules and required an additional bidding round. The agency granted deadline extensions to states that needed more time to implement the new rules and take more bids.
