NDIT tells appropriations panel North Dakota is on track on broadband but federal timelines strain spending

BROADBAND PROGRAMS — North Dakota Information Technology broadband staff briefed the Appropriations — Government Operations Division on federal broadband grants and timelines, saying work funded by the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) has reduced the number of unserved locations and that the state is preparing Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) applications for NTIA review.

The update focused on three federal programs: the CPF (about $37.3 million allocated to the state), BEAD (roughly $130 million in the state’s allocation) and a digital equity authorization of about $4.54 million. "This is probably the least of the things you need to worry about in terms of the budget because we are federally funded," said Brian Newby, broadband program director for NDIT.

NDIT said CPF-funded projects have closed many coverage gaps and that the number of eligible unserved or underserved locations has fallen from thousands in 2023 to roughly 2,000 in 2025. The agency cautioned that CPF projects must be "completed or materially completed by the end of 2026," a Treasury standard it said remains undefined. Newby said the department has…