Alabama BEAD Challenge Portal
Introduction
Welcome to the Broadband Equity, Access, & Deployment (BEAD) Challenge Portal, where you can access the Challenge Map and register to submit challenges.
To submit a challenge, per NTIA guidance, you must represent a broadband service provider, local government, tribal government, or nonprofit. Register now, in less than two minutes. After your identity has been confirmed, you will be granted credentials to the platform.
Review the program overview below to see the different challenge categories and types to ensure you submit the appropriate evidence for each.
When more than 8 locations serviced by the same provider and technology are challenged in a given census block group, the entire census block group will be considered challenged.
After the challenge window closes, the rebuttal window will open to provide any counterevidence to a challenge. After the rebuttal window closes, challenges will be adjudicated and the updated map will be used as the basis for allocating BEAD funding across the state.
Program Overview
Challenge Categories and Types
Challenges may be submitted to establish that broadband service is provided or will be provided to a given set of locations (planned service, enforceable commitment), outline that broadband service is inadequate, unreliable, or not offered to a given set of locations (provider service level challenges, not part of enforceable commitment), or identify Community Anchor Institutions (Community Anchor Institutions or CAIs are entities such as schools, community support organizations, hospitals etc. that facilitate greater use of broadband service).
Challengers will select from the following challenge options:
- Planned service
- Planned service: Broadband service is going to be deployed to the locations selected by June 30, 2024
- Enforceable commitment
- Enforceable commitment: Broadband service is going to be provided to the locations selected under an enforceable commitment
- Not part of enforceable commitment: Broadband service is not going to be provided to the locations selected under an enforceable commitment
- Provider service level (reported service)
- Availability: The broadband service identified is not offered at the location, including a unit of a multiple dwelling unit (MDU)
- Speed: The actual speed of the service tier at the location falls below the unserved or underserved thresholds
- Latency: The round-trip latency of the broadband service exceeds 100 ms
- Data Cap: The only service plans marketed to consumers impose a capacity allowance (“data cap”) of less than 600 GB/month on the consumer
- Technology: The technology of the broadband service indicated for the location is incorrect
- Business service only: The location is residential, but the service offered is marketed or available only to businesses.
- Community Anchor Institution
- Location is a CAI: The location should be classified as a CAI
- Location is not a CAI: The location is currently labeled as a CAI but is a residence, a non-CAI business, or is no longer in operation
Location Selection
The Challenge Portal only allows challengers to select a subset of locations from the geospatial interface. This subset is modified based on the challenge category and type selected. For example, in a provider service level challenge, only served or underserved locations from the selected provider and technology type are selectable. In a CAI challenge, only one location can be selected at a time. This aims to simplify the Challenge Process and ensure that locations are not incorrectly selected for a given challenge.
Any number of locations may be selected for a provider service level or planned service challenge, although it is recommended to submit multiple smaller challenges to track challenges more easily and ensure that a challenge is not invalidated due to being partially inaccurate. There is no limit on the number of challenges that may be submitted.
Locations may be selected by uploading shapefiles, selecting from an existing library of shapefiles, drawing on the map, 'shift-dragging' across a set of locations, or individually selecting locations.
Evidence Submission
Each challenge type requires a different type of evidence and lists different questions during the challenge submission process. Evidence may be submitted in the form of file uploads or narrative support or both. Evidence may be added after the challenge has been submitted until the challenge window closes. After a challenge passes initial review, challenged entities will be notified and may submit a rebuttal when the rebuttal window opens.
