Connecting Massachusetts with Affordable Broadband

After the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law in 2021, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) was tasked with the creation of an Internet for All plan that will work to close the digital divide for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, expanding high-speed internet access and digital equity programming across the state. MBI plans to accomplish these tandem goals include its Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Initial Proposals Volume 1 and 2, as well as the State Digital Equity Plan. Here, we look at the affordability barriers faced by residents of the Commonwealth, as well as the low-cost and middle-income plans outlined by MBI in Initial Proposal Volume 2.