- NTIA opened a second BEAD round on September 3, 2026, paid for with money states didn't need in the first round.
- It can add unserved homes on the newest FCC map, homes wrongly shown as served and homes left behind when another grant's provider defaulted.
- Each state that takes part posts a list, runs a 30-day challenge and then has 90 days to pick providers, followed by up to 90 days of NTIA review.
- By November 3, 2026, Texas, Oklahoma and Washington had announced second-round plans, and Massachusetts said it may run one.
On September 3, 2026, NTIA let states run a second BEAD round for unserved homes the first round missed. That covers homes on the newest FCC map, homes wrongly shown as served, and homes left behind when another grant’s provider defaulted. Each state that takes part posts a list, runs a 30-day challenge, then has 90 days to pick providers.
The money comes from what the first round didn’t use. After NTIA’s June 2025 rule change pushed states toward the lowest-cost bids, the approved plans put about $18.2 billion of the $42.45 billion program into construction, according to Broadband Breakfast’s tally. The Benton Institute’s summary of NTIA’s new notice puts the savings available at about $21 billion. NTIA calls this step Supplemental Deployment. Several states call it a second “Benefit of the Bargain” round, after the bidding process they used the first time.
Which homes can be added
Benton’s summary of the notice lists the kinds of locations a state can add. Three matter most to households:
- Homes new to the FCC map. The round works from Version 8 of the FCC’s location list (the “Fabric”), released in December 2025, so homes added since the first round’s data can count.
- Homes wrongly shown as served. If a corrected map now shows your home as unserved, it can be added.
- Homes stranded by a failed grant. Locations that another program’s provider walked away from can come back into play.
Read your state’s own list when it’s posted. The state’s list, after its challenge, is what decides whether your address is in.
Homes that can’t
Locations still covered by a live enforceable commitment, meaning another grant that still obligates a provider to build there, stay out. So do homes the newest data shows as served at 100/20 Mbps or faster. A building removed from BEAD because it isn’t a home is unlikely to qualify, unless the map is corrected to show that it is one.
If you’re not sure which group you’re in, why BEAD skipped my house walks through the four usual reasons and how to check each one.
The timeline
- The state posts its list of locations eligible for the round.
- A 30-day challenge. The list can be challenged, for example to add a missed home or remove one that’s already served.
- A 90-day round in which the state picks providers.
- NTIA review, up to 90 days, before the new agreements are signed.
- Then the usual BEAD steps: signing, reviews and permits, construction, with each provider’s four-year clock running from its own subgrant.
Run back to back, steps 2 to 4 take about seven months from the posted list to NTIA’s approval, before any construction starts. Real schedules tend to have gaps between steps.
Not everyone expects the round to close the gap. Broadband Breakfast reported that four state broadband directors said the “true-up” round won’t finish the job, so some homes may still be left out after it.
What your state has said so far
This site’s state records showed the following as of November 3, 2026. Each state name links to its guide.
| State | What it said | When |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Announced a Supplemental Deployment Round for unserved locations that were previously ineligible: a 30-day challenge, a second Benefit of the Bargain round, then a plan sent to NTIA | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Posted a draft list of 13,467 more locations; said NTIA had tentatively set its cost per location at $11,207.82 but hadn’t finalized the list or timing | After Sep 3, 2026 |
| Washington | Said NTIA’s new round lets it reach locations that weren’t part of its original BEAD award | Sep 8, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Said it may run a second round and will share information; none announced | Checked Nov 3, 2026 |
| Other states | No announcement found | Checked Nov 3, 2026 |
Re-bids aren’t the second round
Some states are also re-awarding locations already in BEAD, which is a different thing. Colorado opened a re-bid for 4,430 leftover locations, with bids due November 9, 2026. Idaho opened a “Round 3” for 26,236 eligible locations in August 2026. Nebraska said it would open another application round for the 1,735 locations left without a signed provider. Those re-bids cover homes that were already funded once; what happens when a provider backs out explains them.
How to take part
- Watch your state broadband office. The list and the challenge dates will be announced there. Your state guide links the office in its office section.
- Find your FCC location ID by looking up your address on the FCC map. Many state lists are keyed by that ID, not by street address.
- Fix the FCC map first if your home is missing or wrongly listed as served. A corrected map entry is your strongest evidence.
- Check who may file. In BEAD’s first challenge, filings came from local and tribal governments, nonprofits and internet providers rather than from households directly. Whether the 2026 round works the same way hadn’t been confirmed. If residents can’t file, bring your evidence to your county, a local nonprofit or your co-op and ask them to file for you.
- Keep your evidence together: written replies from providers saying they can’t serve you, with dates, and screenshots of what the FCC map shows at your address.
What to use meanwhile
Even if your home is added, a provider picked in 2027 has four years from its subgrant to build. Being added to a list is the start of a new wait, not the end of one, so check your state office’s BEAD page each month while the round runs. For a stopgap that won’t tie you down, see what to use while you wait; the BEAD guide covers the rest of the program.