Are states ready to close the US digital divide?

Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), every state will receive at least $100 million to start via the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Allocation of this much federal money to states for a specific objective without a long-standing local department or agency in place to ensure the funds are deployed wisely is rare. Many states do not have a dedicated broadband team. If they do, it is often staffed by just a few people who are tucked inside another agency or staffed by a third party. Yet states are expected to administer federal broadband funds on tight timetables, across multiple agencies and levels of government, and with deep involvement from private-sector internet service providers (ISPs). Global supply chain snarls, domestic labor shortages, and other pandemic disruptions could further complicate those efforts. And as new initiatives take flight, there is also the question of how programs launched under previous federal broadband programs will be managed. States face a formidable task, so we’ve designed nine elements they could consider when developing their broadband programs. With digital equity serving as a North Star, the goal is to help states make the most of this historic funding and close the digital divide once and for all.