Brightspeed Announces Total Funding Received from Local, State, and Federal Grants and Other Funding

Brightspeed announced that it has received over $238 million in local, state, and federal broadband grants, subsidies, and funding, counting in that figure the BEAD funds totaling over $7.5 million from Louisiana BEAD project grants.

The company said in a press release that the investments will allow the company to expand its planned network buildout in 14 states and 121,000 locations.

Praises for BEAD

CEO Tom Maguire praised the grant programs, including BEAD, for allowing the company to build a network in areas where it might not have ordinarily been feasible.

"When we launched the company in 2022, we made a multi-billion-dollar commitment to reach more than four million homes and businesses in our footprint. We are on pace to achieve our initial goal, and every grant award allows us to go even further," said Maguire.

"Broadband grant programs and the BEAD program have created a unique opportunity for us to reach deeper into more remote areas where we wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to build."

Brightspeed highlighted the need to “bridge the digital divide” and bring fiber technology to rural areas at a time when connectivity is a crucial part of everyday life for Americans.

"Internet connectivity is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity," added Brightspeed Broadband Office Vice President Pamela Sherwood. "Expanding access to faster, affordable, more reliable, and user-friendly internet has never been more important, whether for work, education, telemedicine, entertainment or simply staying connected, and these grant and subsidy programs are helping us give families and businesses the connectivity they need to thrive in today's world."

Brightspeed’s funding and expansion

• ~$180 million in Brightspeed's home state of North Carolina that will fund connections to more than 80,000 premises
• $3.8 million+ in South Carolina to connect nearly 5,200 locations
• ~$11.9 million in Wisconsin to connect more than 8,400 locations
• $2.3 million in Texas to connect nearly 5,000 locations
• ~$270,000 in Louisiana to connect more than 400 locations
• $5.6 million in Virginia that will connect nearly 3,500 homes and businesses
• ~$597,000 in Alabama to connect more than 1,000 locations
• $6.8 million in Tennessee to connect 2,800 locations
• $470,000 in Arkansas to connect 580 homes and businesses
• $774,000 in Michigan to connect nearly 390 locations 
• $782,000 in Pennsylvania to connect 340 locations
• ~$474,000 in Kansas to connect more than 550 locations
• $12.3 million+ in Ohio to connect nearly 5,900 homes and businesses
• More than $5.5 million in Indiana to connect nearly 3,300 locations
• $7.5 million+ in BEAD funding from Louisiana to reach 2,800 premises