Funding to address broadband gaps in the Eleventh District

The Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) became law in November 2021, allocating billions of dollars for upgrades and expansion of the nation’s infrastructure. Funding was awarded to various sectors including $65 billion for broadband. The funding is designed to ensure wide broadband access and to promote digital inclusion so that “individuals and communities have the information technology capacity that is needed for full participation in the society and economy of the United States.” In this article, we examine IIJA program funding distribution in the states in the Federal Reserve’s Eleventh District (Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico) and shed light on the reasons behind grant variations across states. We found that:

• Texas leads both the district and country in total Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding to date, with over $3.3 billion allocated to the state.
• On a per capita basis, New Mexico is leading the Eleventh District states with $487 per resident, followed by Louisiana at $297 and Texas at $114.
• Differences in per capita funding can be due to various factors such as funding formulas, program requirements and the competitive grant application process.
• As of the time of this report, funding opportunities for communities include the BEAD program and digital equity subprograms.