Wyoming scores federal approval – and $348 million – to push high-speed internet statewide

Oil City News and Wyoming News Now contributed to this report.

Wyoming just cleared a major hurdle in its push to get high-speed internet to every corner of the state.

Gov. Mark Gordon announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has signed off on Wyoming’s final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Only 18 states and territories made this round of approvals, and Wyoming is among the first in line.

“The approval of Wyoming’s final proposal marks an important step forward in our goal of connecting every serviceable location in the state with broadband access,” Gordon said. “As one of the first states to receive approval, this announcement demonstrates Wyoming’s national leadership and the strength of the Wyoming BEAD Program. I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Lutnick for the continued support of states as we deliver on universal broadband access.”

The BEAD program is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a federal effort that sets aside $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet across the country. For rural states like Wyoming — where rugged terrain and long distances have made internet service expensive and spotty — this money is meant to finally close those long-standing gaps.

Wyoming’s slice of the pie comes to just under $348 million. That money will be distributed as grants to broadband providers, who will be tasked with actually building out the infrastructure to reach homes, businesses and community institutions.

To unlock those funds, the Wyoming Broadband Office (WBO) put together a detailed rollout plan, working closely with the state’s internet service providers to figure out how to get reliable high-speed service to 100% of “serviceable locations” in the state.

The final plan also leans on a newer set of federal rules. In June 2025, the Trump administration issued updated guidance known as the “Benefit of the Bargain” — a policy shift aimed at removing regulatory burdens and unnecessary costs from the previous approach.

Wyoming built that guidance into its proposal, arguing it allows the state to stretch broadband dollars further while sticking to core local values: fiscal responsibility and efficient government.

The Wyoming Business Council, which houses the WBO, says the stakes go far beyond faster streaming or smoother Zoom calls.

“The WBC has been proud to work with Wyoming’s ISPs to develop and refine our plans for the BEAD Program, deploying high speed broadband to 100% of serviceable locations in the state,” said Josh Dorrell, the council’s CEO. “We know that reliable and robust infrastructure of all kinds is vital to Wyoming’s future, and this funding allows us to stay at pace with the rest of the country, accessing the broader world economy.”

State leaders argue that better connectivity will boost everything from small businesses and telehealth to education, ranching, tourism and energy — especially in communities that have been on the wrong side of the digital divide for years.

Alongside Wyoming, NTIA approved final BEAD proposals from:

• Louisiana;
• Iowa;
• American Samoa;
• Georgia;
• Arkansas;
• Delaware;
• Guam;
• Maine;
• New Hampshire;
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
• Connecticut;
• South Carolina;
• North Dakota;
• Hawaii;
• Montana;
• Rhode Island;
• Virginia.

With approval now in hand, Wyoming’s next steps will involve competitive grant rounds, construction timelines and a lot of fiber and equipment headed into some of the most rural parts of the American West — all with the goal of making high-speed internet as common as power and running water.