Andrea Noble

Governments can use American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay for broadband infrastructure. Experts say local governments are in the best position to know what initiatives will work to connect residents. Because barriers to broadband access vary widely from neighborhood to neighborhood and household to household, local governments are best positioned to figure out what assistance residents need in order to log on. A number of initiatives can help cities interested in using the federal dollars on broadband, including:

State officials tasked with overseeing expansion of broadband to their residents say it is paramount to have accurate information about where infrastructure and service is lacking. But because connectivity data collected by the Federal Communications Commission often overestimates broadband’s reach, many states are trying to gather their own data, sometimes going door-to-door to query residents, to better understand service gaps. States are increasingly under pressure to make available more grant funding to pay for broadband infrastructure in rural communities.