Brightspeed BEAD Program Wins Total More Than $528M, Driving Fiber Network Expansion in 17 States*
Funding will bring multi-gig-speed internet to an additional 182.9K locations in rural America
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 3, 2025 — Today, Brightspeed, the nation’s third-largest fiber broadband builder empowering families and business owners with high-speed connectivity, announced it has won federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program funds totaling $528,162,466.97 across 17 states. The awards will accelerate Brightspeed’s deployment of multi-gig-speed fiber to unserved and underserved rural communities.
The most recent BEAD awards include Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and South Carolina, where Brightspeed received $181,064,376 to reach an additional 90,852 homes and businesses with its Brightspeed Fiber Internet network.
“Our investment, combined with this latest round of BEAD funding, is about more than laying fiber; it’s about changing lives,” said Brightspeed Executive Chairman & CEO Michel Combes. “Every mile we build brings new opportunities: students who can learn without limits, small businesses that can thrive in the digital economy and families who can access healthcare and stay connected to loved ones. This funding accelerates our commitment to close the digital divide.”
Brightspeed is investing billions to deploy next-generation fiber to more than five million homes and businesses across 20 states. The company’s fiber network already reaches more than 2.5 million locations across its footprint, with thousands more being lit each month.
BEAD awards by state
| State | Grant funding | Locations added |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $14,302,871 | 4,417 |
| Illinois | $3,237,626 | 1,201 |
| Indiana | $24,533,972 | 9,203 |
| Michigan | $19,704,802 | 8,746 |
| Missouri | $117,333,760 | 61,743 |
| Ohio | $16,243,816 | 5,424 |
| South Carolina | $10,400 | 118 |
| Previously announced | ||
| Arkansas | $26,279,777 | 13,791 |
| Georgia | $2,265,592 | 1,405 |
| Louisiana | $5,751,955 | 2,609 |
| New Jersey | $37,500 | 112 |
| North Carolina | $90,599,048 | 13,744 |
| Oklahoma | $1,893,595 | 148 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,014,425 | 9,083 |
| Tennessee | $14,338,845 | 2,757 |
| Virginia | $16,661,198 | 4,963 |
| Wisconsin | $134,953,282 | 44,276 |
In addition to BEAD program funding, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin have awarded Brightspeed nearly $294.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to augment the company’s fiber deployment investment in those states. The ARPA funds will provide more than 140,000 Americans in those 13 states access to high-speed connectivity they don’t have today.
“All of these investments are about people,” said Brightspeed Broadband Office Vice President Pamela Sherwood. “With state and federal subsidy support, we’re bringing life-changing connections to families who have waited too long for reliable internet. This funding empowers us to give local economies the tools to grow—empowering small businesses, strengthening schools, and helping communities compete and thrive in a digital world.”
*Provisionally awarded pending approval by NTIA
About Brightspeed
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., and with assets and associated operations in 20 states, Brightspeed provides broadband and telecommunications services through a network platform capable of serving more than 7.3 million homes and businesses. Nearly 4,000 employees are committed to building a future where more communities benefit from a more connected life, deploying a state-of-the-art fiber network and delivering a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be. For more information, visit www.brightspeed.com.
SOURCE Brightspeed