American Rescue Plan Two Years In

The American Rescue Plan has helped to power one of the strongest and most equitable recoveries on record while making investments which position our nation for economic success in the coming decades. Over 30,000 state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments have received State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and made $24.3 billion in critical infrastructure investments in broadband, water, and sewer. Governments have reported budgeting nearly $7.3 billion in SLFRF funds towards broadband. And the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) is a $10 billion down payment on universal broadband. To date, the CPF has awarded approximately $5 billion to 34 states that will be invested in high-speed internet infrastructure estimated by states to reach more than 1.4 million homes and businesses. To date, CPF has additionally awarded more than $38.5 million to 231 Tribal governments, and maintains an updated list of Tribal projects as they are awarded. CPF is designed to not only connect families to the Internet, but ensure that their connection is affordable. Examples of investments include:

Louisiana was approved for $176.7 million (representing 100% of its available CPF funding) for the state’s new Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) program, a multiphase, broadband infrastructure competitive grant program. Louisiana estimates that projects receiving funding from this CPF award will close the digital divide for approximately 25% of all locations lacking highspeed internet access in the state and connect nearly 88,500 homes and businesses currently lacking access to internet at speeds of 25/3 Mbps.

• Virginia was approved for $219.8 million (representing 100% of its available CPF funding) and will use funds to expand last-mile broadband access to an estimated 76,873 locations, approximately 28% of locations the state estimates lack access to high-quality broadband service. Through a competitive grant-making program overseen by the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI), local governments in partnership with internet service providers apply for funds with the goal of deploying universal coverage solutions in the localities involved.
• West Virginia was approved for $136.3 million (representing 100% of its available CPF funding), and estimates that projects receiving funding from this CPF award will serve 20,000 locations, or approximately 10% of locations in the state that lack access to highspeed internet. The state will use three separate grant programs that focus funding for last-mile connections to homes and businesses currently without access to internet at speeds of at least 25/3 Mbps. The Line Extension Advancement and Development Program (LEAD) will fund the extensions of last-mile broadband networks that can be constructed quickly, the Major Broadband Projects Strategies Program (MBPS) will fund larger-scale projects designed to serve large numbers of eligible addresses, and GigReady will provide local governments with the opportunity to utilize SLFRF as matching funds for broadband infrastructure projects. Each of these three programs is designed to enable funding to reach areas that are hardest to serve due to low population density, rurality, or other factors
• Carroll County, Maryland budgeted $15 million to make investments in broadband infrastructure in response to COVID-19 when households and businesses lacking reliable high-speed service were at a significant disadvantage in areas such as educational, economic, and health opportunities. Carroll County will increase access to the 12% of Carroll households and businesses currently unserved by a high-speed connection by providing 100/100 mbps service that will include an option for low-income customers.
• American Samoa budgeted $10 million for broadband development as the pandemic made clear that remote work, distance learning, and telehealth are essential services. The territory will work with local internet service providers to support the delivery of internet service that reliably meets or exceeds symmetrical upload and download speeds of 100 mbps.