Unpacking Approved BEAD Volume 2s: New Jersey

NTIA recently approved New Jersey’s Initial Proposal Volume 2. The ACLP compared the final version with the version NJ submitted to NTIA last fall. A redlined comparison is available here. The following minor changes were evident:

Subgrantee Selection Process

Scoring - Fair Labor Practices

Like many other states, NJ updated this category to provide opportunities for new entrants/those without a track-record of labor compliance to gain points by offering robust narratives and making commitments for future compliance.

Low-Cost Option

The parameters of the option remain unchanged. However, the state includes a brief discussion of how it will address the option price post-ACP. It appears that, after considering the possibility of allowing providers to “raise the retail price,” the state will stick with the $30/month price-point because, in its view, raising the retail price post-ACP “could negatively affect adoption.”