Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program in Michigan is designed to eliminate the digital divide by ensuring that every home, business, and community anchor institution across the state has access to reliable, high-speed, and affordable internet. Administered by the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the program utilizes Michigan's $1.559 billion federal allocation to fund competitive subgrants for broadband infrastructure deployment. Priority is given to connecting unserved locations that lack access to 25/3 Mbps service, underserved locations lacking 100/20 Mbps service, and community anchor institutions requiring 1/1 Gbps symmetrical service, followed by non-deployment digital inclusion activities.

Eligible subgrant applicants include internet service providers, private companies, cooperatives, nonprofits, public-private partnerships, public or private utilities, and local units of government. Prospective subgrantees must meet rigorous federal and state qualifications, including demonstrating compliance with federal labor and employment laws over the preceding three years, providing detailed staffing and workplace safety plans, and establishing cybersecurity risk management strategies. Any proposed projects that build on Tribal lands must have the formal consent of the respective Tribal Nation. Applications proposing Priority Projects that deploy end-to-end fiber-optic networks delivering at least 1 Gbps symmetrical speeds are prioritized over non-priority technologies like coaxial cable or licensed fixed wireless.

Eligible projects focus primarily on last-mile broadband infrastructure deployment. Middle-mile infrastructure is eligible only when necessary to ensure the technical feasibility and sustainability of last-mile service delivering direct connectivity to unserved or underserved locations. Applicants define project service areas using a statewide 1.5-mile hexagonal grid, committing to build infrastructure to all eligible locations within each selected hexagon. The application process requires a preliminary organizational pre-registration followed by submission of comprehensive project applications through the MIHI grant portal, evaluated against state scoring criteria and NTIA policy guidelines.