US Ignite says cities need all the help they can get navigating broadband funding

US Ignite, an organization that has spent the last decade helping cities across the country plan and tackle broadband projects, brings seven more communities into its fold. All told, more than 50 cities are now part of its network and it’s looking to grow that number as communities face a daunting challenge: navigating an influx of federal broadband funding opportunities. In addition to money from the American Rescue Plan Act and various state-level grants, municipalities across the country are assessing how they might take advantage of the $42.5 billion set to flow through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. There’s just one problem. Many either don’t quite know where to start or don’t have the employee resources to tackle such projects. Jonathan Beam, one of US Ignite’s Community Innovation Managers, said there are two main ways it helps communities. First, it helps them navigate the wide array of federal funding opportunities available to them, identifying suitable matches and eligible projects. And second, it establishes a pilot project with the community, which can be used to inform their grant applications and demonstrate what can be accomplished with the funding.