Federal Broadband Programs Could Add $146 Billion to GDP

Broadband programs included in the 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could add $146 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), according to a new analysis from Keynesian Technology, which researches the impact of Keynesian economics on the technology industry. The three broadband programs studied are the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), and the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The BEAD program covers some of the costs of deploying broadband to unserved and underserved rural areas. The TBCP funds broadband deployments in tribal areas. The ACP, which already has run out of funding, provided $30 a month toward the cost of broadband service for low-income households. The BEAD program’s impact on GDP is estimated at $84.8 billion, while the ACP impact is estimated at $55.2 billion and the TBCP impact is estimated at $5.99 billion.