JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Mississippi’s initial proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was approved by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

According to officials, the approval enables Mississippi to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. The state can request more than $1.2 billion.

“This approval in the BEAD program means we are one step closer to connecting all remaining unserved and underserved locations in the most rural areas of Mississippi,” said Sally Doty, Director of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM). “These are large construction projects that require a good deal of time for buildout and require careful evaluation and monitoring, but incredible progress is now being made. From Alligator, MS in the heart of the delta, to Woodville, MS in the extreme southwest corner of the state, and everywhere in between, reliable high-speed internet is on its way.”

“As the only person in the Mississippi Congressional Delegation who voted in support of broadband being available to the last mile, I support this initial step, but I expect the final outcome to be delivered to those who need it the most,” said U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi).

Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used on high-speed Internet adoption, training, and workforce development efforts, among other eligible uses.

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