(AUSTIN) — Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced today that the agency will begin accepting applications for more than $3.8 billion in available funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Texas Match Assistance Program (TMAP).
Administered by the Comptroller’s Broadband Development Office (BDO), the BEAD and TMAP Programs combine federal and state dollars to support broadband infrastructure projects in eligible areas. These projects aim to bring reliable high-speed internet service to more than 245,000 unserved and underserved locations across the state.
“Access to reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity for education, business, health care and everyday life,” Hancock said. “This is a transformative investment in Texas’ future, especially for our rural and underserved communities. Expanding broadband access boosts job opportunities, drives local growth and helps ensure every Texan, no matter their ZIP code, has the tools to succeed in a modern, connected economy.”
Texas’ BEAD Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), which lays out the guidelines for prospective applicants, was published on the Texas SmartBuy website on June 26. To be eligible for funding under this NOFA, projects must be designed to deploy reliable, high-speed broadband service to eligible unserved and underserved locations in Texas, which include homes, businesses and schools.
Applicants interested in this opportunity can refer to the program’s NOFA and visit the BDO’s website and the Texas BEAD Application Portal registration page to find more information about the application process, review guidance materials and sign up for updates about future broadband initiatives.
The Texas Legislature established the BDO in 2021 and housed it within the Texas Comptroller’s office to help close the digital divide in Texas.
