March 2022

Gov Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Lt Gov Jon Husted (R-OH) announced new broadband expansion projects that will make affordable, high-speed internet available to nearly 100,000 households in Ohio that currently don't have access to reliable internet connectivity. The Broadband Expansion Authority authorized BroadbandOhio to award more than $232 million in grants to 11 internet service providers as part of the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program. The funding will be used to cover the “broadband funding gap” associated with 33 broadband expansion projects impacting 31 counties.

Tucson Connected, a public-private partnership in Arizona, aims to link the digital inclusion efforts of several entities in a unified effort to reach residents. The project, which launched in the fall of 2021, is meant to unify a number of entities with a stake in increasing regional digital equity and address the barriers impeding Internet adoption. The coalition’s primary focus will be identifying barriers and connecting stakeholders to available subsidies.

The pandemic revealed gaping disparities in broadband access and use in urban neighborhoods and rural communities alike. Historic broadband investments are now being made through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), with states setting priorities in consultation with local governments. Also momentous is the IIJA’s emphasis on broadband use as well as broadband networks, with requirements for affordability, and funding for subscriptions, devices, training, and support.