MILPITAS, Calif., Jan. 28, 2026 — Idaho received clearance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal oversight agency this week, allowing the state to advance deployment of its $583 million allocation under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. Officials from Idaho, Washington, and Nebraska outlined deployment plans and remaining federal reviews at a panel held at the Tarana Wireless headquarters in California’s Silicon Valley, moderated by Chip Pickering, chief executive of telecom trade group INCOMPAS. Ramon Hobbey-Sánchez, director of the Idaho State Broadband Office, said the state received NIST approval and awarded 92 projects to 23 subgrantees, targeting 92,500 homes and businesses. Idaho approved a deployment mix of 50 percent fiber, 25 percent fixed wireless, and 25 percent low-Earth-orbit satellite, reflecting June 6 guidance from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that eased fiber-preference rules. After deployment and administrative costs, the state identified about $110 million potentially eligible for non-deployment uses, subject to NTIA approval.