How States Can Use Line Extension Programs to Expand High-Speed Internet Access

The Pew Charitable Trusts sent a memo to state broadband offices that are participating in its technical assistance program, the broadband education and training initiative, that discussed how states can use line extension programs to subsidize “curb-to-home” connections—the final segments of infrastructure needed to connect each individual home or business to a broadband network. Pew looks at how three states have implemented programs to address last-mile expansion, including the rules and procedures they employ to award funds to households, property owners, or internet service providers. Summary points include:

• The cost of connecting an individual household or business to a network can be prohibitively expensive to achieve broadband access despite being located in a served area, as a significant portion of these costs typically falls to the property owner.
• State programs can support this final stretch of deployment by subsidizing these individual connections to existing infrastructure through line extension programs.
• State approaches to line extension programs have provided funds in the form of grants either directly to households and property owners or to the providers, following individual submissions.

[Jake Varn is Principal Associate at the Broadband Access Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts. Analysis dated November 4, 2021.]