Unpacking Approved BEAD Volume 2s: Kansas

NTIA recently approved Kansas’s BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2 (V2). The ACLP compared the final version with the previously released draft, which included curing edits from NTIA. A redlined version is available here. The following identifies additional changes made to the state’s V2 ahead of NTIA’s approval:

Subgrantee Selection Process

Scoring – Fair Labor Practices

The state has simplified its scoring of this category. Previously, the state proposed allocating up to 10 points for fair labor practices across 6 different categories. In the final version, the state has aligned its scoring approach with that of many other states – i.e., it will award up to 5 points for “attestation or evidence of compliance” with fair labor and employment laws and up to 5 points for “plans or results related to workplace safety.”

Scoring – Speed of Network and Other Technical Capabilities

The state has changed how it will award up to 3 points in the Network Usable Life subcategory. Previously, the state proposed awarding 3 points for fiber, 2 points for HFC, and 1 point for FWA. Per the final version of V2, the state will now only award points to fiber-based proposals, specifically: “designs including xPON will receive three points, GPON designs will receive 2 points, and EPON designs will receive 1 point.”

Non-Deployment Activities

The state confirmed that it expects to have excess BEAD funds and will use those funds (estimated to total 1.5% of its BEAD allocation) to bolster workforce development and readiness programs.

Use of 20% Funding

In this section, the state summarized the results of its recent Challenge Process:

“Post-Challenge results were submitted by KOBD to the NTIA on March 18, 2024, for review, curing, and approval. These post-challenge results indicate 37,779 unserved and 25,631 unserved locations. From KOBD’s FYAP estimates of 87,489 unserved and 57,316 underserved locations on which the funding shortfall was estimated, this is a reduction of 57% and 55%, respectively. Prior to sub-grantee selection process, additional private investment, local, state, and federal grant programs, and continued refinement of FCC BDC data will decrease the number of unserved, underserved, and CAI locations eligible for BEAD funding. BEAD funding is then enabled to provide the maximum number of locations with Priority Broadband Service and provide for non-deployment, administrative, and programmatic activities.”