Carl Smith

On November 18, the Federal Communications Commission unveiled an update of its map showing broadband availability in communities throughout the U.S.

The $65 billion included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is intended to finally close a technology gap identified more than three decades ago, giving “every American” access to affordable, high-speed Internet.Almost two-thirds of the Infrastructure Act's broadband dollars will go to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). States have until July 18 to send NTIA a letter of intent to participate in the program.

In 2018, Congress provided funding to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to create a National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) and to work with Federal Communications Commissionas well as state and local governments, nonprofits, network owners and operators and other stakeholders to achieve this goal.

State lawmakers should be thinking about how to go on one-time spending sprees — such as funding infrastructure projects, including broadband, largely underwritten by the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill. In recent years, state programs have received applications in excess of available funds, says Anna Read, senior officer for the Pew Charitable Trusts Broadband Access Initiative. “State grant programs to date have focused on expansion of last-mile infrastructure to unserved areas,” she says.

Billions of federal dollars for broadband came with the stipulation that they benefit underserved populations. New projects that link last-mile access with affordability are paving the way for universal Internet service. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) included hundreds of billions of dollars for which broadband infrastructure was among the allowed uses. Infrastructure is not the only issue for those on the wrong side of the digital divide, however. Many who might have providers in their area cannot afford home service.