Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

Resources for NJ BEAD Applicants

Now Accepting Prequalification 

Prequalification 

Prequalification is the first step in OBC's subgrant process, and only those who successfully prequalify will be considered for an award. The prequalification window is extended until 5 PM ET on July 3, 2025. This is the final extension for the Prequalification window. 

OBC is currently reviewing prequalification submissions on a rolling basis. OBC will notify applicants after the review has been completed or if it requires more materials to complete its review. Applicants may prepare and submit applications before receiving notification of the outcome of prequalification. 

Application 

The application window will open once NTIA has approved the Initial Proposal Correction Request and will close at 12 pm ET on July 25, 2025. Revised materials will be posted on OBC’s website shortly.  

BEAD Program Restructuring: ULFW and BEAD Location Eligibility Public Notice 

Consistent with NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice Section 4 (published June 6th, 2025), unlicensed fixed wireless providers in New Jersey are hereby notified that they have seven (7) calendar days (from Tuesday, June 17th until Tuesday, June 24th) to indicate that they intend to submit evidence that BEAD funding is not required for the locations they serve.  

New Jersey will only consider submissions from ULFW providers who serve locations where the FCC National Broadband Map indicates potentially qualifying unlicensed fixed wireless service is currently available. Data from the FCC National Broadband Map identifies one such provider in New Jersey: Andrena. 

Upon receiving a provider’s intent to submit evidence, New Jersey will allow the ULFW provider seven (7) calendar days to submit documentation and a list of locations supporting the claim that the existing ULFW services meet the same technical and service standards required for a BEAD subgrant (see Appendix A of the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice). If a ULFW service provider demonstrates that it meets the requirements specified by NTIA’s Policy Notice, the served locations will be considered ineligible for BEAD funding. 

Please refer to Section 4: Optimizing BEAD Locations and Appendix A in the Policy Notice for additional information. 

Please provide this notice by sending an email to broadband@bpu.nj.gov with the subject line “NJ BEAD ULFW BEAD Notice.” The notice must be received no later than 5:00pm EST on June 24th, 2025. 

Instructions, FAQs, Webinars

Eligibility Data

New Jersey’s list of eligible Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) was finalized in May 2025, incorporating NTIA-approved post-challenge results, updates from FCC Fabric Version 6, and enforceable commitments (including the New Jersey Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity (NJBIDE) Pilot Program). There were no changes due to non-subsidized service. As these updates already align with NTIA’s Policy Notice requirements, no further changes to the BSLs list are necessary. Pursuant to NTIA’s BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, OBC has reviewed and made modifications to its Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) list in June 2025.

Request a CostQuest License

Participating entities are encouraged to request a no-cost NTIA Tier D or Tier E License from CostQuest Associates to participate in the State Broadband Challenge Process. However, obtaining a CostQuest license is not required to participate in the challenge process. This license will permit licensees to view the BSL data on a more granular level and is an important tool for analyzing areas that may need to be challenged. The process to request a license may take up to two weeks.

How to Request a NTIA Fabric License 

Review the NTIA Fabric Licensing FAQ to learn about the licensing process and determine the appropriate tier license for your organization. 

Tier D

Entities that participate in any federal broadband programs, including entities with reporting requirement or entities that plan to participate in the BEAD sub-granting process, should request a Tier D License. Internet service providers, for example, should request a Tier D license. Licensees will be similar to those with an FCC Fabric Tier 2 license.  

Use this guide for requesting an NTIA Tier D to assist in completing the application process. 

Request Tier D License

If you have any questions, CostQuest can be reached directly by emailing IFAsupport@costquest.com.

To apply for an NJ BEAD administered grant, applicants must submit all their required documents to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) External Access Portal (e-Filing). This portal is also referred to as Infoshare.

Please refer to this BPU e-Filing System Walkthrough for step-by-step instructions on how to properly submit your documents. It is crucial that applicants reference the docket number TO25020078 and mark all documents as confidential before submitting, as explained in this walkthrough.

Portal Login

Note: Applicants can submit both their prequalification material and application using the same process.

Register for Webinars/Office Hours

  • Register for upcoming webinars and office hours:

    June 27, 2025 at 10:30 AM ET: NJ BEAD Revised Application Process Webinar
    Registration Link

Contact

  • Further Questions?

    Email broadband@bpu.nj.gov with any questions. Please include “BEAD” in the subject line of your email.