California Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Subgrantee Selection Process

Background

The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and five territories. California has been allocated approximately $1.86 billion under BEAD, based on its share of unserved locations nationwide. Governor Newsom designated the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to serve as the recipient and administrator of BEAD funds for the state. 

BEAD 2.0 Rules and Resources

Entities interested in applying for BEAD funding should review the following BEAD Rules and Guidelines before applying for funding:

BEAD 2.0

BEAD 2.0 Timeline 

Event

Date

Prequalification

Application reopens

July 11, 2025

Application closes

July 17, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Pacific

Benefit of the Bargain Round

Application reopens

July 19, 2025

Application closes

August 2, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Pacific

Comments on draft Resolution and Final Proposal

Shortened Comment Period*

On July 18, 2025, the CPUC filed a waiver of the requirement to file Final Proposals within 90 days of issuance of the Revised Policy Restructuring Notice.  If granted, the CPUC would have until October 2, 2025 to submits its Final Proposal. 

 
 BEAD 2.0 Benefit of the Bargain Round (Subgrantee Selection) Project Application

To comply with NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, the CPUC has updated the BEAD Project Application to remove, edit, or add questions as required. 

Existing applications will be carried forward in the BEAD Application Portal and existing inputs pre-populated in the new format, however the BEAD 2.0 Project Applications will remain open for updating all previous responses and newly added questions. 

All applicants will need to provide newly required information and submit an updated Project Application in the Portal. 

Additional instructions and changes are captured in the BEAD 2.0 - CPUC Project Application Guide. 

Important: Due to the timeline established in the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, it is unlikely there will be sufficient time to correct deficiencies, supplement missing information, or modify pricing after application submission. The CPUC urges applicants to make sure applications are complete, accurate, and compliant at the time of submission. All materials must be submitted through the BEAD Application Portal. Emailed responses will not be accepted. 

BEAD 2.0 Project Application Guide, templates, and instructions 

Also available in the BEAD Application Portal. 

The CPUC will be accepting BEAD 2.0 Project Applications beginning on Saturday, July 19, 2025, and ending on Saturday, August 2, at 6:00 p.m. PST.  

Important: To participate in the Benefit of the Bargain Round Project Application, entities were required to submit a Prequalification Application during the Prequalification window from July 11 - July 17, 2025. 

Login to the BEAD Application Portal here. 

Project Application – High-volume PAU Application Limitation and Selection 

Applications have a limit of 850 PAUs per Project Application. If applicants wish to apply for more than 850 PAUs, they will need to submit more than one application. 

An applicant cannot submit more than one competing application for a given PAU or location; for example, if an applicant is submitting multiple Priority applications, the proposals must be for completely different PAUs and locations. 

When uploading 350 or more PAUs to a Project Application, users may experience a delay of up to five (5) minutes. This is also dependent on users’ internet connection and may take longer for some connections.

If the applicant encounters any technical issues with login, or account administration, please contact the Ready.net support team by email at cahelpdesk@ready.net.  

BEAD 2.0 Benefit of the Bargain Round Data Downloads 

Consistent with NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, the CPUC has updated the data files to be used for the BEAD 2.0 Benefit of the Bargain Round. These files show the post-Challenge Process classification (unserved, underserved, and Eligible Community Anchor institutions (CAIs)*) of each Broadband Serviceable Location (BSL) in California by FCC Location ID.  

The files reflect the results of the Challenge Process, pre-challenge modifications, and the implementation of NTIA reason codes, including deduplication with state and federal enforceable commitments.  

Important: Applicants are expected to perform engineering and financial modeling using their own tools and finalize project designs outside the Portal. CPUC has made all required data available for applicants’ download and offline design of their proposed projects. 

These files differ from the files available during the CPUC’s previous BEAD Project Application round due to changes made in compliance with NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice and other NTIA guidance: 

  1. Community Anchor Institutions have been revised to comply with the IIJA definition referenced in the Policy Notice. 
  1. The BEAD-eligible locations include 164 additional locations where federal enforceable commitments recently had a service area update. 
  1. NTIA Reason Codes 1-5 have been applied, per policy requirements, in the form of indications and omissions: 
  • Reason Code 1 – non-BSLs indicated 
  • Reason Code 2 – non-mass market locations indicated 
  • Reason Code 3 – location IDs not in the v6 Fabric omitted 
  • Reason Code 4 – locations served by enforceable commitments indicated 
  • Reason Code 5 – locations served by unlicensed fixed wireless (ULFW) with sufficient evidence omitted 

Data Vintage 

As of July 17, 2025, datasets reflect the following: 

Map Fabric Version: 4 (omitting location IDs not in the v6 Fabric) 

Fabric Date: December 31, 2023 

National Broadband Availability Map (BDC): May 14, 2024 

Federal Deduplication Date: May 28, 2025 

State Deduplication Date: April 25, 2025 

Data Dictionary 

A Data Dictionary can be found here

Unserved (displayed as pink dots)

Download Unserved Locations file

These BSLs reportedly have at least one of the following:

  • No access to broadband service
  • Speeds of less than 25/3 Mbps
  • Latency greater than 100 milliseconds

These locations are also reported to lack enforceable commitments for deployment of service that will deliver speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps.

Underserved (displayed as blue dots)

Download Underserved Locations file

 

These locations are BSLs that are shown to have at least one of the following:

  • Speeds of less than 100/20 Mbps but greater than 25/3 Mbps
  • Latency greater than 100 milliseconds

These locations are considered underserved based on the CPUC’s BEAD pre-challenge modifications and are reported to lack enforceable commitments for deployment of service that will deliver speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps.

Eligible Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) (displayed as red squares)

Download CAI Locations file

 

This file includes the list of Eligible Community Anchor Institution (CAI) locations.

 

Eligible Community Anchor Institutions must have speeds of not less than 1 Gbps for both downloads and uploads and latency less than or equal to 100 milliseconds.

Indicated (displayed as yellow triangles)

Download Indicated Locations file

 

These locations will likely not be eligible for BEAD funding due to NTIA Reason Codes 1, 2, or 4. Most of these locations will likely be funded by an enforceable commitment, but final determination of specific enforceable commitment locations is pending.

Project Area Units (PAU)

Download PAU files

 

This shapefile contains geometry of the PAU polygons as well as relevant PAU attributes.

PAU_ID: Unique PAU ID

Underserved: Count of intersecting underserved eligible locations

Unserved: Count of intersecting unserved eligible locations

TribalPAU: 1 if Tribal Area

ScorablePAU: 1 if the PAU contains at least one unserved or underserved eligible location

 

BEAD 2.0 Prequalification Round 2

In accordance with NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, the CPUC has revised the Prequalification Application, and is reopening the BEAD Application Portal to accept revisions to previously submitted applications in any other status other than Qualified. New applications will also be accepted at this time.  

The revised Prequalification Guide is linked below. It will also be posted in the BEAD Application Portal. 

The CPUC will be accepting BEAD Prequalification Applications beginning on Friday, July 11, 2025, and ending Thursday July 17 at 6:00 p.m. PST.  

Important: Applicants whose applications are currently in Qualified status do not need to submit or revise their applications. These applications remain approved. 

Applicants must register for an account and be approved by the CPUC before beginning the Prequalification Application. 

Register for Portal access here. 

Login with an existing account here 

If the applicant encounters any technical issues with registration, login, or account administration, please contact the Ready.net support team by email at cahelpdesk@ready.net.  

Important: At this time, CPUC does not anticipate time for post-submittal application revisions and urges applicants to ensure their applications are complete, accurate, and compliant at the time of submission. Emailed responses will not be accepted. 

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: Unlicensed Fixed Wireless Claim Process Service Evidence Requirements

Background

As required in the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, the CPUC is requesting Unlicensed Fixed Wireless (ULFW) companies provide evidence that will enable the CPUC to demonstrate that the Internet service provided by using ULFW technology has taken the steps necessary to resolve potential interference and capacity constraints associated with such technology, have addressed the problem of interference from 47 CFR Part 151 users competing for the same spectrum, and meets the technical specifications within Appendix A of the Policy Notice2.

Step One: Declare Intent to Submit ULFW Claim Process Evidence

ULFW providers must notify the CPUC in writing of their intent to submit evidence that BEAD funding is not required for the locations they serve. Providers must send an email to BEADgrant@cpuc.ca.gov stating that they wish to participate in the Claim Process. The CPUC will confirm that providers are registered in the BEAD Application Portal, and if not, providers will need to submit a registration request.

Providers will have seven (7) calendar days to submit their notice of intent and if necessary, submit a registration request for the BEAD Application Portal. Late submissions will not be considered.

Window opens: June 18, 2025

Window closes: June 25, 2025, 6:00 p.m. PST

Step Two: Submit Evidence

All evidence must be submitted through the ULFW Claims node in the BEAD Application Portal. Emailed responses will not be accepted. Providers who have indicated intent during the initial seven-day window will have the ULFW Claims node activated for their account on June 26, 2025. Once in the Portal, providers will be able to download the Unlicensed Fixed Wireless Evidence (ULFW) template to submit their claims, along with an attestation. Instructions will be provided prior to the opening of the submission window.

Providers will have seven (7) calendar days to submit their evidence. Late submissions will not be considered.

Window opens: June 26, 2025

Window closes: July 3, 2025, 6:00 p.m. PST

 

147 CFR Part 15 (Radio Frequency Devices)

2Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployments (BEAD) Program: BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, Section 4 Optimizing BEAD Locations

NEW

Instructions for completing the ULFW Evidence Template and submitting through the BEAD Application Portal’s ULFW Claims node can be found here. 

The Unlicensed Fixed Wireless Evidence Submission Template can be found here. 

National Broadband Availability Map: December 31, 2024 

Data download from FCC's availability map includes the locations that your organization has on record with the FCC via BDC reporting. Only Unlicensed Fixed Wireless (tech code 70) locations reported by your organization that are currently eligible for BEAD funding in California qualify to receive a ULFW Claim to remove from BEAD funding eligibility.

All evidence must be submitted through the ULFW Claims node in the BEAD Application Portal. Emailed responses will not be accepted.

Note: The maximum location upload per claim is 12,000. If your company has more than 12,000 locations, you will need to submit more than one claim.

 

Prequalification, Project Application and Review Process

Prequalification Application Process

The CPUC is pleased to announce that the BEAD Prequalification Application is now open and available in the BEAD Application Portal. Prequalification materials will be accepted through May 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST. Each organization is required to submit a complete Prequalification Application before starting their Project Applications.  

During the Prequalification phase, prospective applicants will provide organizational, financial, managerial, and technical information to demonstrate they are qualified to be a BEAD subgrantee. The CPUC will review the submitted prequalification information and applicants will be notified within the Portal if they have been prequalified to apply for BEAD funding.

Register for an account and start the prequalification process through the BEAD Application Portal. Please refer to the Prequalification Application Guide  for detailed instructions and information about the prequalification process.

Other Prequalification Application materials including the checklist and templates are available for download in the Resources section at the bottom of this page.

Important: Each organization is required to submit a complete Prequalification Application before starting a Project Application. Prequalification will be accepted through May 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Project Application Process

The CPUC is pleased to announce the release of the BEAD Project Application Guide v2 and the BEAD Application Templates. These materials are available for download in the Resources section at the bottom of this page. The application materials are designed to assist applicants in preparing for the application process. All submissions must be made through the BEAD Application Portal.

To start your BEAD application, please log in to the BEAD Application Portal. 

During the Project Application phase, prospective applicants who are prequalified will formally submit their application for BEAD funding. The BEAD application will require applicants to:

  • Establish their qualifications to participate in the BEAD program and to successfully complete and operate a BEAD project, AND

  • Present a compliant, fundable grant application to deploy and operate a communications network that meets the requirements of the CPUC’s program.

Applicants will provide project-specific information that includes the proposed network, budget, deployment schedule, and other matters related to construction and operation of the proposed network. Please refer to the Project Application Guide for detailed instructions and information about each component of the application.

Review Process

The CPUC will accept, review, and score BEAD Project Applications and will conduct a series of related necessary activities, prior to and following acceptance of the grant applications.

Given BEAD’s rigorous requirements, the review process will require the CPUC to evaluate proposals from organizations that meet NTIA’s and California’s requirements and to determine which proposals are most likely to achieve the objectives of the BEAD program.

The review of BEAD applications will include the following steps:  

  1. Preliminary Review: applications are assessed for completeness.
  2. Revision: applications with incomplete information are sent back to applicants for revisions.
  3. Scoring: eligible applications are scored based on established criteria (see Scoring Rubric in IPv2 pg. 45).
  4. Ranking: applications are ranked according to scores.
  5. Deconfliction: potential conflicts (i.e. overlapping applications) are identified and resolved.
  6. Negotiation: terms are finalized with selected subgrantees.

Award and Approval: awards are issued following NTIA and CPUC approvals.

Application Revision

Prequalification and Project Application revision requests will be sent out through the BEAD Application Portal. Applicants who receive a revision request will have three (3) business days to provide responses or additional information to complete the application within the Portal. Emailed responses will not be accepted. Due to the extremely compressed BEAD timeline, there may not be additional opportunities for revisions. Applicants who do not respond to revision requests or who provide incomplete responses risk consideration of their Project Applications.

BEAD Application Portal

New users must complete the registration process on this page. Your registration will be reviewed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Once approved, you will receive an email providing access to the Portal and will be able to add members to your organization. Registration will remain open through the conclusion of the Grant Application Window. 

Existing users (organizations that registered to participate in the BEAD Challenge Process) do not need to register again. Login using your existing account and password.

For technical issues related to registration, login, or account administration, please contact the Ready.net support team by email at cahelpdesk@ready.net. 

Register for Portal access here.

Login with an existing account here

Supplemental Information

Technical Assistance and Outreach

The CPUC is committed to ensuring potential BEAD applicants are prepared to participate in the BEAD application process. To support this goal, the CPUC is providing a variety of webinars, technical assistance videos, and office hours to provide information related to specific Subgrantee Selection topics. All potential applicants are encouraged to review the recorded webinars and the technical assistance recordings and materials, and to attend office hours. A full list of past BEAD events can be found on the CPUC BEAD Events page.

  • Webinars were held on Tuesdays, from 1-2 p.m. (PST) starting on December 3rd. Moving forward, the CPUC will be posting pre-recorded technical assistance videos on relevant program topics. Each section will focus on critical aspects of the BEAD program.

Office Hours will be held every Thursday, from 1-2 p.m. (PST), from January 9th to May 8th. These sessions are an open forum for stakeholders to ask specific questions, seek clarification, and gain personalized guidance on the BEAD application process. Registration is required and is available here

BEAD Program Technical Assistance Series

  • Prequalification Application Guide
    • This video will provide an overview of the PDF Prequalification Application guide. The CPUC will provide detailed guidance on Prequalification.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  • Updated BEAD Program Design
  • Project Application Guide
    • This video will provide an overview of the PDF project application guide. The CPUC will provide detailed guidance on the BEAD funding application process, and an in-depth exploration of the application components.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  • Supplemental Application Forms
    • This video will provide an overview of the templates that applicants will need to fill out in the application.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  • Grant Management System: Platform Basics
    • This video will walk the applicant through the basic functionalities of CPUC’s BEAD GMS Portal.
    • Meeting Recording
  • Grant Management System: Prequalification and Revisions
    • This video will provide a brief walkthrough of the Prequalification application.
    • Meeting Recording
  • Grant Management System: Mapping Features
    • This video will provide a walkthrough of the map features in the Application Portal.
    • Meeting Recording

Available Soon - BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process Technical Assistance Videos

  • BEAD Environmental Compliance
    • This video will focus on the environmental compliance requirements, with specific emphasis on NEPA and CEQA guidelines.

Past BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process Webinars:

  1. December 3, 2024: BEAD and Prequalification overview
    • This webinar provides potential applicants with a foundational understanding of BEAD’s structure, timeline and application criteria.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  2. December 10, 2024: BEAD Program Design
    • This webinar provides key aspects of the BEAD program, including grant areas design, technology preferences, negotiation processes, and the role of the Extremely High Cost per Location Threshold.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  3. December 17, 2024: BEAD Program Evaluation
    • This webinar provides insights into BEAD program scoring requirements, including rubrics for priority end-to-end fiber applications and other broadband types.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  4. January 9, 2025: BEAD Financial Requirements
    • Potential applicants will gain an understanding of the purpose and specific details of the application requirements for demonstrating financial capability and project projections.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  5. January 14, 2025: BEAD Technical Requirements
    • This webinar provides an overview of the technical requirements for BEAD grant proposals and how to effectively develop this section the BEAD application.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  6. January 21, 2025: BEAD Matching Funds
    • The BEAD program requires a mandatory 25% match. This webinar covers match requirements, in-kind contributions, waivers, and related criteria.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording
  7. January 28, 2025: Other BEAD Requirements
    • This webinar provides a detailed discussion of the unique requirements for the BEAD grant application, including the Build America/Buy America Act, the Historic Preservation Act, and the Low-Cost Service Offering.
    • Presentation & Meeting Recording

Past BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process Office Hours:

  1. January 16, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  2. January 23, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  3. January 30, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  4. February 13, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  5. February 20, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  6. February 27, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  7. March 20, 2025 - Meeting Recording
  8. March 27, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  9. April 3, 2025 – Meeting Recording
  10. April 10, 2025 - Meeting Recording 
  11. April 17, 2025 - Meeting Recording 
  12. April 24, 2025 - Meeting Recording 
  13. May 01, 2025 - Meeting Recording
  14. May 08, 2025 - Meeting Recording 

Frequently Asked Questions

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is committed to ensuring a fair, open, and competitive Subgrantee Selection Process for the BEAD program.

To promote transparency and provide equal access to information, the CPUC has developed this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to address inquiries from potential applicants and stakeholders.

The BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) consolidates questions received through BEAD outreach channels and provides the CPUC’s official responses to ensure all interested parties have access to the same information. The CPUC will continue updating this FAQ throughout the Subgrantee Selection Process to address additional questions as they arise, ensuring ongoing clarity and transparency through the BEAD program rollout.

BEAD Subgrantee Selection Process FAQ, Version 12.0, May 16, 2025.

The FAQ will be updated frequently as new questions arrive.

Resources

Reference Materials

Prequalification Application

BEAD Project Application

 

Contact Us

  • Email questions about the BEAD Subgrantee Selection to BEADgrant@cpuc.ca.gov.
    Note: Due to NTIA rules, we will not be able to respond to project-specific questions or requests for individual consultations. Questions will be compiled as they come in and responses published in our Frequently Asked Questions documents. You may also sign up to attend BEAD 2.0 Benefit of the Bargain Office Hours to ask questions in a live forum.
  • For questions about the BEAD Application Portal or technical support, contact Ready.net at cahelpdesk@ready.net.
  • For questions about the BEAD Challenge process and Post Challenge Map, email BEAD@cpuc.ca.gov.

Stay Updated

  • To receive updates related to the BEAD Program, sign up using the “Statewide Broadband Updates” form available on the right side of the BEAD homepage.
  • Key BEAD Program documents will also be provided through the CPUC BEAD proceeding (Rulemaking 23-02-016) service list. You can sign up here.