Internet connectivity across the U.S. is not created equal. This became staggeringly apparent after the Covid-19 pandemic, when so many people’s lives took a hard turn toward internet usability. Schools, jobs, and even social networks required online access, exposing the growing divide between those with reliable broadband and those without.
In November 2021, Congress signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, appropriating $42.45 billion for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program — the largest federal investment in broadband infrastructure ever.
I wrote about the run-up to the implementation of BEAD-funded broadband installation in July 2024’s Mind the Digital Gap. At the time, local and state agencies were turning to households to report their internet speeds, which would help identify under- or unserved areas across the country. Unserved areas are those with speeds at or less than 25 mbps download/3 mbps upload. Underserved are those with between 25/3 mbps and 100/20 mbps. According to the Congressional Research Service, a 25/3 mbps connection is generally sufficient for basic web browsing, email, and streaming on a single device, but it can struggle to support multiple users simultaneously participating in activities such as video conferencing, HD streaming, online learning, and other bandwidth-intensive tasks.
Each state and territory were allocated a certain amount of BEAD money, calculated by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). From there, the states and territories had to produce action plans, initial volumes, a challenge process, a final proposal, and more to prove responsible management of the federal money. California was allocated $1.9 billion; Nevada, $416 million.
Of interest, Nevada originally won approval for its BEAD-funded internet deployment in January 2025 through the Biden administration. But by that June, the Trump administration rescinded the approval and issued new guidelines, such as switching a focus on fiber technology to satellite connectivity.
The state resubmitted its updated proposal in September 2025, and on Jan. 8, 2026, the NTIA approved Nevada’s updated plan (the dollar amount stayed the same).
California, meanwhile, submitted its final BEAD 2.0 proposal in December 2025. Broadband Breakfast, a news source covering broadband tech across the country, reported in December, “The state is looking to use more than $1.5 billion of its $1.8 billion BEAD allocation on deployment projects, a larger proportion than almost any other state. The state also has more BEAD-funded locations than any other, with the total coming to more than 339,000.”
As of press deadline, California’s final proposal status is listed as pending on the NTIA website.
This month’s YATA is all about the latest BEAD information by county, including where clusters of unserved locations are within our coverage area.
View the proposed coverage areas for the two states Moonshine covers below:
California: register.bead.cpuc.ca.gov/register/bead/map
Nevada: beadregister.nv.gov/register/bead/map
But wait, there’s more!
Separate from but coordinated alongside the BEAD program is California’s Senate Bill 156, which was signed in July 2021 by Gov. Gavin Newsom and allocated $6 billion to, among other things, develop and construct a “statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network to facilitate high-speed broadband service,” per bill language. Middle mile means a network of high-speed broadband infrastructure connecting towns and regions. Last-mile infrastructure, which brings that middle-mile service to people’s homes, is also included under the bill umbrella.
This middle-mile work is happening right now along Highway 89 in the Tahoe Basin, with Teichert doing the installation. This project across California is known as the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, is overseen by the California Department of Technology, and is expected to be completed December 2026.
In short: SB 156 = California and federal American Rescue Plan (2021 economic stimulus bill) money building state infrastructure; BEAD = federal money filling remaining access gaps. Details below. The two California portions have been planned out in tandem.
~ AH
Where are the underserved communities in our area that BEAD is addressing?
NEVADA COUNTY
Kimberly Parker, Nevada County Economic Development Office: California’s Final BEAD project recommendations submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) include 340 broadband projects proposed by 21 entities, representing more than 338,000 locations statewide. If approved, the proposal would provide broadband service to 100% of BEAD-eligible locations through a combination of fiber, fixed wireless, and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technologies. It is important to note that this does not represent all unserved locations in California, but rather those determined to be eligible under BEAD program rules.
We do not currently have a verified count of BEAD-eligible locations specific to Nevada County … You can note clusters of unserved residents in the following areas: North of Highway 20, Soda Springs, Hirschdale, the 49 corridor, Penn Valley, Smartsville, and south county.
EL DORADO COUNTY
While there are three unserved points in Tahoma, the furthest reaches of Moonshine’s coverage area, Meeks and Rubicon bays just south of Tahoma note significant clusters.
PLACER COUNTY
Unserved spots along Hwy 89 between Truckee and Tahoe City, in Olympic Valley and (significantly more) Alpine Meadows, and along Courchevel Road in Tahoe City.
WASHOE COUNTY
Behzad Zamanian, Washoe County chief information officer: Washoe is working on the second phase of rural broadband (Rancho Haven and Sierra Rancho communities in far north Reno). The state is funding the project that was awarded to Skyfiber, and the county is assisting wherever needed, such as assistance with permitting process, space accommodation, and community engagement … I will have a lot more detail in the next month. I don’t know of any active project for Incline Village and Crystal Bay at this point.
What about California’s Senate Bill 156?
Linsey Willis, Teichert director of strategic communications: The Teichert Energy & Utilities Group is delivering two of the Middle Mile Broadband contracts managed by Caltrans in the Tahoe/Truckee area, including:
Highway 89 in Sierra/Nevada counties between Interstate 80 in Truckee, and Sierra Valley/Alpine Area. To date, this project has 35 of 38 miles of conduit already installed and is expected to conclude in early August.
Highway 89 in Alpine, El Dorado, and Placer counties. Running from the Hwy 89/88 intersection along the entire west shore of Tahoe to Tahoe City. This project is a connection to an existing segment of the Middle Mile Broadband network previously completed in 2024/25. The conduit and fiber have been installed from the Hwy 89/88 intersection through Tahoe City and Camp Richardson with additional miles completed in the Meeks Bay area. To date, we have completed 26 of 42 miles, and our team is currently installing 1.5 to 2 miles per week. We plan to have most of the work completed before snow season, but an early season could delay some of the work into next year.
