Diving into the Biden Administration’s ‘tech hubs’ and what it means for broadband

The Biden Administration recently announced the designation of 31 ‘tech hubs,’ areas intended to become hotbeds of innovation, across the United States. The more than two-dozen new tech hubs will ‘have the tools they need to compete on a global scale,’ including Economic Development Administration funding opportunities and access to a range of technical assistance from agencies such as the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Small Business Administration. According to Eric Smith, the Tech Hubs Program Director at the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, 22 of the designated tech hubs significantly benefit small and rural communities and six include a tribal government. As part of the program, the Department of Agriculture “will work with Tech Hubs to identify any relevant rural electric cooperatives that could help provide reliable, affordable energy and broadband access in their regions as needed."