Treasury Empowers Iowa's Push for Universal Broadband Access

Over the years, Iowa's demand for broadband infrastructure far outstripped the funding the state has been willing to supply. But the state is allocating millions in federal funding to help it reach its broadband goals. The latest funding comes from the U.S. Treasury's Capital Projects Fund. Iowa is using over $150 million from the American Rescue Plat Act program to bring fiber to the farmland. BroadbandNow.com ranks Iowa 45th in the nation in broadband access and finds that the state has the second-slowest internet speed nationwide, with an average download speed of 78.9 megabits per second (Mbps). About 35 percent of Iowa households lack access to the internet at download speeds of at least 25 megabits (Mbps) and minimum upload speeds of 3 Mbps. About one-third of Iowa’s counties are still broadband deserts, where high-speed internet is rarely offered, and only 18.5 percent of Iowans have access to affordable internet plans, well below the national average of 50.1 percent.