On May 1, Nextlink Internet activated a tower in southern Bienville Parish, Louisiana — the first in the nation to be funded by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The tower delivers fixed wireless internet service to 104 BEAD locations across northwest Louisiana via fixed wireless infrastructure, marking the first time households anywhere in the country have gained service through BEAD. Nextlink, which received an $18.5 million BEAD subgrant, will deliver fixed wireless infrastructure to 7,460 unserved and underserved locations across Louisiana.
