Decatur County REMC becomes first of Indiana's 24 BEAD awardees to sign grant contract
In late June 2026, Decatur County REMC signed its BEAD contract with the Indiana Broadband Office, the first of the state's 24 grant awardees to do so, clearing the way for construction to begin within weeks. The $7.1 million BEAD award, combined with a local match, will extend fiber to about 2,800 homes and businesses in Decatur County, with most work expected complete by year-end.
Providers named: Decatur County REMC
Award amount: $7.1M
What this means for BEAD compliance
Decatur County REMC as Indiana's first BEAD contract signatory, with implications for the state's other 23 pending BEAD awardees watching this as the compliance template.
Execution of the grant agreement moves Decatur County REMC from pre_award into active_deployment, starting the 24-month infrastructure completion clock and activating reimbursement-based disbursement mechanics that require documented, milestone-linked draw requests. The provider must now demonstrate ongoing compliance with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules for construction labor, complete NEPA environmental review steps before ground-disturbing work, and begin quarterly reporting on address status, speed testing, and financial expenditures. Any gaps in permitting, wage documentation, or reporting cadence from this point forward create audit and clawback exposure tied directly to the $7.1 million award and local match funds.
Analysis by BeadComply Compliance Intelligence, grounded in the BEAD requirements registry.
Won a BEAD award in Indiana? See Indiana's program status and compliance requirements →
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