Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
MBI Director and General Counsel Michael Baldino (left) and MBI Senior Program Director Jody Jones discuss the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Challenge Process during an MMA webinar on April 22.
An MMA webinar today with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute discussed a process for verifying data in order to deploy federal funds to expand broadband access across the state, as well as timely MBI programming to help bridge the digital divide.
MBI Director and General Counsel Michael Baldino began with the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Challenge Process, which is an important step in the deployment of $147 million to expand broadband access. The MBI is required to facilitate a process to challenge the Federal Communication Commission’s National Broadband Map and identify all locations that are not served.
“As a part of the state’s Internet for All plan, the BEAD program is designed to increase access to eligible and affordable high-speed internet,” he said.
MBI Senior Program Director Jody Jones said the BEAD Challenge Process “is a crucial step in ensuring the accuracy of data and maps before funds are allocated.”
Jones reviewed who can submit challenges to the data, how organizations can register to become eligible entities, and the anticipated timeline.
“We anticipate the Challenge portal will open for registration in May,” she said, “and MBI will publish the broadband availability map in June.”
Baldino and Jones moderated 15 minutes of questions and answers, which addressed inquiries about BEAD qualifications, the timeline for MBI’s map publication, and technical assistance available for communities.
• Broadband and Digital Equity Planning: Internet Availability in Your Community (3M PDF)