American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

Five providers that offer service in eastern North Dakota broke ground simultaneously on fiber projects funded, in part, through state and federal broadband programs.

Charter has now won $700 million in broadband funding since its big win in the 2018 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction, said Jessica Fischer, the company’s chief financial officer. The funding will go toward buildouts to 300,000 locations, Fischer said. The gross cost of the buildouts for which Charter has won funding will be $1.7 billion, which suggests that Charter will contribute matching funds of about $1 billion for the builds. The buildout cost per passing to Charter will be $3,200, Fischer said. The company completed 68,000 subsidized rural passings this quarter, she noted

The Federal Communications Commission committed nearly $55 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program, which provides digital tools and services to support students in communities across the country. The funding commitment supports applications from the third application window, benefitting approximately 115,000 students nationwide, including students in Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Utah.

The Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer issued Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) #008 for the Empower Rural Broadband Grant Program making available up to $148,960,000 for broadband expansion in Iowa. The purpose of this NOFA is to solicit applications from Communications Service Providers for Broadband Infrastructure Projects that will have the greatest overall effect of reducing or eliminating Eligible Unserved or Underserved Locations in the State through the installation of Broadband Infrastructure.

The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program established by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) continues to deliver critical financial support to communities across the country recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The SLFRF program is stimulating investments in strengthening the country’s internet infrastructure by funding upgrades—such as laying fiber backbone, completing last-mile connections, and prioritizing equitable access. These crucial investments provide residents with access to education, health care, government services, and economic opportunity.

Even before he took office Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) realized that access to high-speed internet is now a prerequisite for participation in our increasingly connected economy. One of the Murphy administration's first priorities was to create a middle-mile, fiber-optic cable network to connect New Jersey’s rural and urban communities to high-speed internet. In New Jersey, as elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on technology and connectivity gaps.

Louisiana's effort to expand broadband access in rural areas advanced with the groundbreaking of the state's biggest high-speed internet project yet. The project will bring cable internet to 9,140 households and 535 small businesses in Avoyelles Parish—the largest investment to date under the state's Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities program, dubbed GUMBO. Set for complet

American Association for Public Broadband Executive Director Gigi Sohn’s hope is that the incumbents that oppose community broadband will come to realize that there are better business opportunities for them to support the concept rather than fight it. For instance, they could have bid on the project in Bountiful City (UT), rather than use shadowy tactics to try and kill it. For decades, these incumbents have argued that taxpayer dollars should not be used to compete against their private investments. In response to that, Sohn said, “I’m sorry to laugh.

Spectrum announced a $4.5 million construction project to bring its advanced fiber-optic network to nearly 1,500 homes and small businesses in the Town of Erin (WI). The project is being funded by a $4.2 million investment from Spectrum and a $300,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant received through the Town of Erin.

When Mike Sanders started his job as Executive Director for the Oklahoma Broadband Office in May 2023, the state’s broadband office had four employees. At the end of June 2023, he expected that number to hit 15. Previously, Director Sanders served six terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Utilities Committee and Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, was vice-chair of the Human Services Committee, and served as House Majority Leader. Prior to that, he worked for President George W.