With Biggest BEAD Allocation, Texas Glad Not to Be 'Donor State'

Texas showed appreciation for the federal government allocating it the most money of any state through NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. Texas is receiving by far the largest BEAD award, with more than $3.3 billion announced Monday (see 2306260007). “Historically, Texas has typically been a donor state, meaning our tax dollars would go to Washington and then get sent out to fund projects in other states,” Comptroller Glenn Hegar (R) said Thursday. “It’s good to see our hard-earned tax dollars coming back to Texas, and you can be certain that each of those dollars will be spent wisely.” The comptroller is “encouraged that NTIA recognizes the challenges we face in Texas,” Hegar said. “And I hope as NTIA evaluates our proposal in the coming months, that it gives Texas the freedom and latitude to bridge the digital divide without needless restrictions.” BEAD funding may be "a rare opportunity for bipartisanship and cooperation as a Democratic administration works to implement a program targeted largely at areas that voted the other way," Cloudflare Director-Network Strategy Mike Conlow blogged Wednesday. About two-thirds of unserved and underserved households eligible for funding are likely Republican, he said.