Kehoe announces approval of $814 million to expand broadband access

(From Gov. Mike Kehoe)

Governor Mike Kehoe and the Department of Economic Development’s (DED) Office of Broadband Development (OBD) announced today that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Missouri’s plan to award more than $814 million to bring high-speed internet to more than 200,000 unserved and underserved locations across the state.

“High-speed internet is no longer a luxury—it’s essential infrastructure,” said Governor Mike Kehoe. “We thank the Trump Administration and NTIA for approving Missouri's plan to invest more than $814 million to expand broadband access to over 200,000 of the most difficult to serve locations in our state. This investment strengthens our economy, supports rural communities, and creates new opportunities for families and businesses across Missouri.”

The NTIA, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, approved Missouri’s Final Proposal for projects under the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program on January 6. This approval will allow OBD to enter into agreements with awarded internet service providers to extend high-speed broadband networks. Providers will then have four years to complete their obligations under the program.

“I want to congratulate and applaud our broadband team for their extraordinary work to reach this milestone,” said Michelle Hataway, Director of the Department of Economic Development. “Their dedication, expertise, and tireless collaboration with partners across the state made NTIA’s approval possible. This achievement reflects their commitment to expanding connectivity and improving the lives of Missourians in every corner of our state.”

OBD published a summary of provisional awards before submitting its Final Proposal for review. NTIA’s approval process resulted in loss of eligibility for approximately 7,200 locations due to removal from the Federal Communication Commission’s National Broadband Map or providers reporting plans for service during the State’s challenge process.

“We’re thrilled to have reached this significant point in the process of connecting all Missourians,” said BJ Tanksley, Director of the Office of Broadband Development. “Our team has worked tirelessly alongside providers and stakeholders statewide to prepare a proposal that benefits as many locations as possible. We sincerely appreciate the contributions of all our partners who helped make this approval a reality.”

Types of awards by technology in the approved Final Proposal:End-to-end fiber: 166,750 locations (82%)
Low-earth orbit satellite: 23,378 locations (12%)
Fixed wireless: 11,494 locations (6%)
Co-axial cable: 2,212 locations (1%)

In line with the Restructuring Policy Notice, OBD was able to award all eligible locations while saving $900 million of Missouri’s $1.7 billion BEAD allocation. OBD will look to NTIA guidance on how these funds can be used to advance plans for crucial investments in Missouri’s economic competitiveness.

A table showing the number of locations awarded by provider is available at this link. The final award for each eligible location, searchable by address, will be available at broadbandmap.mo.gov in early January.