The New Hampshire Office of Broadband Initiatives, within the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA), is responsible for administering $196.5 million in federal funds through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. BEAD funding will be used to improve broadband infrastructure throughout the state, but before funding can be awarded to qualifying internet service providers, service location eligibility must be approved.

In essence, the map on which BEAD funding will be based must go through a final review and determination process. This is referred to as the Challenge Process,” during which municipalities and nonprofits can submit a challenge to a location or locations that are designated served, underserved, or unserved, based on the availability of high-speed broadband service, if they disagree with the current designation.

The reason you are receiving this notice is because residents are also able to contribute to this process by providing public comments concerning designated locations, such as their own home address. The BEAD Challenge Process is only open July 15, 2024 – August 14, 2024. This process is required by the state and federal governments and critical to ensuring the mapping data utilized for BEAD awards is accurate and reliable.

Moreover, although federal regulations dictate that residents and businesses are not eligible to submit challenges directly, they are an essential part of the Challenge Process and the data submitted by eligible challengers may be gathered directly from residents and/or businesses that have not been provided the level of broadband service that is reportedly available to them.

Residents can use New Hampshire’s Resident Public Comment feature to submit evidence regarding the lack of service at their address, which can be reviewed and converted into challenges by qualified non-profit organizations and units of local or tribal government. If accepted under the terms of the BEAD Program and the New Hampshire Broadband Office corresponding evidentiary review, the challenge will likely make those locations eligible for BEAD funding (i.e., a broadband network deployer might receive funding for a portion of the cost of delivering broadband service to that location).

Residents can find additional information about the BEAD Challenge Process and links to the Public Comment Portal on the NH Office of Broadband Initiatives – Challenge Process website: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – NH Economy

Resident Public Comment Resource Guide is available here: NH-BEAD-Challenge-Process-Resident-Resource-Guide.pdf (nheconomy.com)

The Resident Public Comment Portal will be available beginning July 15, 2024, and closing August 14, 2024.