Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Deputy Governor Stuart C. McWhorter announced the approval of a major broadband expansion under the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This initiative allocates more than $200 million (specifically $202 million) in state-administered federal funding to support 128 projects across 74 counties, targeting over 43,000 previously unserved and underserved locations with high-speed internet. Grantees are contributing an additional $200 million in matching funds, resulting in a total investment exceeding $402 million for broadband infrastructure in the state.

The announcement marks a significant step toward the administration’s goal of providing reliable, high-speed broadband access to every Tennessean by 2028. When Governor Lee took office in 2019, more than 20% of residents lacked access to high-speed internet; this funding is expected to reduce that figure to zero upon project completion. Since the start of the Lee administration, Tennessee has invested a total of $1 billion in broadband infrastructure and adoption programs, already extending high-speed access to more than 613,000 residents.

The BEAD Program, administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), prioritizes deploying sustainable, affordable broadband in areas failing to meet minimum speed standards. Officials emphasized that high-speed internet is vital for education, job training, economic opportunity, and ensuring rural areas are not left behind.

Among the funding recipients are several providers, including Amazon Leo ($2,440,400 for parts of numerous counties), AT&T Tennessee ($48,829,963 for select areas), Comcast ($38,307,750), Brightspeed ($14,338,845), United Communications ($18,139,092), and others such as local utilities and cooperatives. Projects are anticipated to be completed by December 2028, and residents can check the state broadband accessibility map for details on awarded providers in specific locations.