Connected Nation launches BEAD Tracker to monitor funding for broadband expansion
Bowling Green, Ky. (September 11, 2025) - September 4 marked the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)’s deadline for states to submit Final Proposals under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program Benefit of the Bargain round outlined in recent restructuring guidance. Many states and territories met that deadline, with the others receiving limited extensions. This BEAD funding, representing more than $42 billion overall, has the potential to make a substantial impact in closing the country’s Digital Divide by building infrastructure and expanding access to millions of Americans.
In response to the need to monitor recent game-changing investments in connectivity across the nation, Connected Nation (CN) is excited to introduce its new BEAD Tracker dashboard.
CN’s BEAD Tracker affords users the ability to summarize BEAD projects and deployment spending at the state and national level, as well as by internet service provider (ISP). Furthermore, users can filter by whether the project intersects with Tribal lands and whether it has been defined by the state as a priority broadband project.
Two illustrative charts depict the distribution of technology types that locations will receive in each area, as well as which ISPs won the most locations in that area. Additional functionality will become available as states continue to release their Final Proposals.
Currently, the tracker analyzes Final Proposals from 35 states and territories. These proposals include 3,494 projects spanning 1,894,006 locations. More than 2 out of 3 locations (67.5%) will be served with fiber internet, and an additional 1 out of 5 locations (19.8%) will receive low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet.
Among ISPs, the biggest winners so far include Amazon Kuiper (192,229 locations), SpaceX’s Starlink (176,811 locations), Comcast (128,226 locations), and AT&T (110,271 locations). In total, these endeavors will cost $9.68 billion – about 43% of the $22.4 billion allocated toward spending. That means $12.7 billion in BEAD funds are left over after these projects, and the NTIA will determine how those funds can be spent later this year.
Click to view the BEAD Tracker in its most up-to-date form HERE! Check back in the coming days to see updated statistics, additional Final Proposals, and new features to analyze and compare the state Final Proposal data.
Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation.
About the Author: David Nunnally is a Research Analyst for Connected Nation. He is responsible for using qualitative and quantitative techniques to interpret survey data, in addition to collecting data from secondary sources to help support those findings. David works with internal and external stakeholders to help develop research and provide critical information in support of the Connected Nation mission.