Updated information about the restructuring of the BEAD program is now available on the Missouri Office of Broadband Development website: https://ded.mo.gov/programs/community/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-bead-program#BEADNotices

From the Missouri Office of Broadband Development:

BEAD Restructuring: UFLW and BEAD Location Eligibility

Unlicensed fixed wireless providers in the state of Missouri are notified that they have seven calendar days (until Friday, June 13) to indicate that they intend to submit evidence that BEAD funding is not required for the locations they serve in line with major federal revisions to the BEAD program in the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice published June 6, 2025 (see Section 4: Optimizing BEAD Locations and Appendix A).

Providers may wish to reference materials prepared and submitted to the state in compliance with Missouri’s BEAD Alternative Technology Policy in identifying locations where they wish to assert service availability and preparing supporting evidence. OBD stresses, however, that providers must submit a new notice of intent to submit evidence and new evidence to remove locations they claim to serve from BEAD eligibility, regardless of whether they participated in the process under Missouri’s BEAD Alternative Technology Policy. The NTIA policy notice OBD’s policy was based on (the “Alternative Broadband Technology Policy Notice”) have been rescinded by NTIA. Among other differences, this new process will have implications for a location’s eligibility for funding of projects using any technology under the BEAD program, not just funding using satellite or unlicensed fixed wireless service.

ULFW providers will have seven calendar days from their notice to NTIA to submit documentation supporting the claim that that the existing ULFW services meet the same technical and service standards required for a BEAD subgrant (see Appendix A of the Restructuring BEAD Policy Notice). If a ULFW service provider demonstrates that it meets the requirements specified by this Policy Notice, the served locations will be ineligible for BEAD Program funding.

Providers should review the technical criteria in Appendix A and be prepared to submit appropriate documentation as well as a list of locations for which they intend to assert service in the seven-day window following their notification of intent to claim service. Only locations where the FCC National Broadband Map indicates potentially qualifying unlicensed fixed wireless service is currently available will be considered in terms of determining BEAD eligibility. (June 6, 2025)