$348 million broadband push aims to get all of Wyoming online

The original story by Valeria Fugate for Wyoming News Now.

For most people, life without the internet is hard to picture. But in rural Wyoming, slow or nonexistent service is still a daily reality — one that state officials say is finally about to change in a big way.

Wyoming is in the final approval stages of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, a major federal initiative that could funnel about $348 million into new broadband infrastructure across the state.

“We’re really excited about Wyoming, which was potentially falling behind, coming to lead the country with internet connectivity,” said Jerry Henderson, state policy adviser.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it brutally clear how essential good internet is — not just for streaming movies, but for school, work, health care and running a business.

“Participate in education, participate in the workforce, participate as a consumer in the economy — all those things, the internet plays a crucial role,” Henderson said.

Now, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently signing off on Wyoming’s BEAD framework, the state is close to turning plans into actual projects. The program is being managed under the Wyoming Business Council.

The BEAD funding is expected to:

• Bring fiber-optic broadband to about 38,000 unserved or underserved locations;
• Provide satellite service to roughly 15,000 additional locations.

In plain terms, that means tens of thousands of homes, ranches and small businesses that have long been stuck with spotty or no internet could finally get reliable high-speed connections.

“This announcement is not only going to help the state with their economic development goals, but the individual Wyomingite who struggled to have that reliable, redundant service,” Henderson said.

In June, the Trump administration rolled out updated BEAD guidance aimed at removing some federal red tape and making the program more “technology neutral.”

That matters for a rural state like Wyoming, where one-size-fits-all solutions don’t always work.

“We can use a mix of technology to serve everybody, not just those large businesses,” Henderson said. “We’ll have economic development benefits to the state, but also homes and families that have long been underserved.”

Nationwide, similar BEAD plans are being finalized in 17 other states, and the recent reforms are expected to save the federal government about $6 billion on its universal broadband push.

Once NTIA gives final approval and the plan lands on Gov. Mark Gordon’s desk for his signature, the state expects to start allocating funds to projects as early as next year.

If it all comes together as planned, Wyoming won’t just be catching up — it could become one of the most connected rural states in the country, giving students, workers and small-town businesses a better shot in an increasingly online world.