BEAD Challenge Process
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released the challenge portal, as well as the speed test and reporting dashboard for the upcoming BEAD Challenge Process. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has released the challenge portal, as well as the speed test and reporting dashboard for the upcoming BEAD Challenge Process. The challenge window will open on November 1, 2023. The review period of challenges and rebuttals will take place on a rolling basis, as challenges are received and follow the stated timelines of Virginia’s approved Volume 1 of its BEAD Initial Proposal, which is provided below.
Per the model BEAD Challenge Process, which DHCD has adopted, DHCD must post an overview of the challenge process phases, challenge timelines, and instructions on how to submit and rebut a challenge at least one week prior to the opening of the challenge window. This information is publicly available now at the Challenge Portal Link below.
As the subject of this challenge process, DHCD has published the lists of initially identified, BEAD-eligible unserved, underserved and served locations. These files are available on the Virginia Open Data Portal and are titled “Unserved BEAD Eligible Locations” and “Underserved BEAD Eligible Locations” and "Served BEAD Eligible Locations." DHCD has also published a full list of “Virginia BEAD Community Anchor Institutions” (CAIs) for the BEAD challenge process, as well as a list of “Unserved BEAD Eligible Community Anchor Institutions.”
These unserved and underserved location, as well as Unserved CAI files include Federal Communication Commission’s Broadband Availability Map Fabric (“Fabric”) Location IDs of these locations. DHCD is not permitted to post full address information of these locations, per a CostQuest agreement which govern the use and sharing of Fabric Location IDs. To download Fabric Location IDs, with full associated physical addresses, broadband providers must secure a Tier D License from CostQuest to view the statewide fabric. Broadband providers should visit https://apps.costquest.com/ntiarequest/ to request this full Fabric and address list.. Local governments and Non-Profits must secure a Tier E License from CostQuest to view the statewide fabric. These groups should visit https://apps.costquest.com/ntiatiererequest/ to request this full Fabric and address list. More information about his Tier D and E licensure requests can be found here.
The Office of Broadband has completed initial review of all challenges submitted under the BEAD challenge process to determine if the challenges pass the minimum level of evidence (MLE) needed to be considered. A list of these challenges and the Office of Broadband’s ruling on these challenges’ MLE is provided in the link below. The challenged entity has been notified of these challenges.
BEAD FIVE YEAR PLAN
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has published the BEAD 5-Year Plan. The Plan identifies the broadband access, affordability, and adoption needs in the Commonwealth, and outlines Virginia’s plans to close the digital divide under the BEAD program. This document is developed under the requirements of BEAD program.
BEAD Initial Proposal
The Office of Broadband has published the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Initial Proposal, as required under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD).
This document reflects the version as re-submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) for consideration after the public comment period and feedback from NTIA’s initial curing edits, as well as second round of curing edits, were considered and incorporated. This document does not reflect the final version, which may include additional edits as requested by NTIA to be in compliance with the BEAD Program. Please note this document is a track changes version, which includes previous edits, as well as revisions to those edits as requested by NTIA.
