Recovery Act Investments in Broadband

By leveraging federal dollars, the Administration's Recovery Act investments will expand broadband access throughout the nation and provide more Americans—in both urban and rural areas—with the opportunity to succeed in the digital age. Among the awards are investments in "middle-mile" networks, which connect unserved or underserved communities to the Internet backbone. These investments will maximize the impact of federal dollars by encouraging private service providers to build connections to homes and businesses using the publicly funded infrastructure. In rural areas and areas with low population density that are difficult to reach, Recovery Act awards will fund investments in the "last mile" of service, which will help provide connections to homes and businesses that would otherwise go without highspeed Internet access. Recovery Act investments will also leverage federal dollars by targeting community institutions that provide critical services in urban and rural areas, including schools, libraries, and hospitals. Middle-mile projects will connect these institutions directly to broadband services, helping to improve the quality of their services and exposing new users to broadband opportunities at work, school, and other venues. Funding for public computer centers, including those in urban and suburban areas, will promote digital literacy among the new generation of workers through one-time investments in equipment, hardware and software, and basic training. These critical broadband investments will create tens of thousands of jobs and stimulate the economy in the near term. By providing broadband-enabled opportunities to previously underserved communities, these investments will also lay the foundation for long-term regional economic development and foster a digitally literate workforce that can compete in the new knowledge-based economy.