Brightspeed Wins More Than $222M in BEAD Program Funding, Fuels Fiber Network Expansion in Six States*

Brightspeed Wins More Than $222M in BEAD Program Funding, Fuels Fiber Network Expansion in Six States*

Funding will give 73K+ Americans living in rural areas access to multi-gig-speed internet

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — August 26, 2025 — Today, Brightspeed, the nation’s third-largest fiber broadband builder empowering families and business owners with high-speed connectivity, announced it has been awarded federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program grants in Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. The states’ combined grants awarded to Brightspeed total $222,165,886 — enabling the company to reach an additional 73,709 homes and businesses with its multi-gig-speed Brightspeed Fiber Internet network.

“From day one, we set out with an ambitious mission: to transform connectivity for millions of Americans across 20 states by building a world-class fiber network in rural and suburban communities left behind by yesterday’s providers,” said Brightspeed Executive Chairman & CEO Michel Combes. “The BEAD program accelerates that mission, unlocking an unprecedented opportunity to deliver life-changing connections that empower families, fuel businesses and ignite local economies. And we’re only just getting started. We are actively pursuing even more BEAD funding to expand our impact in the states we serve.”

Brightspeed is already making a multi-billion-dollar investment in deploying next-generation fiber-optic broadband network technology with the goal of reaching more than five million homes and businesses across 20 states — including Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. The company’s Brightspeed Fiber Internet service is now available to nearly 318,000 homes and businesses in Arkansas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, with thousands more coming online each month. Additionally, the BEAD awards mark the beginning of Brightspeed’s fiber network build in Oklahoma. In addition to the company’s own investment, Brightspeed has been awarded BEAD program awards in each of these states as follows:

“For families and business owners, fast, affordable and reliable internet isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline,” said Brightspeed Broadband Office Vice President Pamela Sherwood. “With our planned network builds and the support of the BEAD program, we’re not just expanding access, we’re delivering a game-changing victory for communities across our footprint. This funding empowers us to bring ultra-fast internet to even more Americans, unlocking new opportunities for work, learning, health care and growth.”

Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin already awarded Brightspeed more than $8.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to augment the company’s $15.5 million investment in bringing fiber internet to communities in those states. The ARPA funds will give more than 9,000 Americans in those four states access to high-speed connectivity they don’t have today. Brightspeed continues to pursue state and federal grants and funds to further augment its planned build in the states that it serves, including BEAD program funding.  

^{*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. Our 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 a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be. For more information, please visit www.brightspeed.com.