Biden-Harris Administration Awards Nearly $9 Million to California in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that California received its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative. California is receiving $8,998,027 in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed by President Biden, to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet service throughout the state. Ford the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, California will receive $4,996,502 to fund various activities including:

• Identification of unserved and underserved locations;
• Planning and increasing capacity of the state broadband office;
• Asset mapping across the state to catalogue high-speed Internet adoption, affordability, equity, access and deployment;
• Surveying communities to better understand barriers to high-speed Internet service adoption;
• Awarding community planning grants to support regional broadband planning;
• Supporting the development of a 5-year action plan.

For Digital Equity Act planning efforts, California will receive $4,001,525 to fund various activities including:

• Developing a California digital equity plan;
• Establishing a state digital equity task force and creating priority area subcommittees;
• Conducting a statewide digital equity survey;
• Soliciting public comment through the Broadband for All Portal.