Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

With the enactment of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), we finally have the resources and direction to enable us to achieve universal connectivity. Yet, success is not assured. We now need to turn our attention to execution, making sure we invest these enormous resources in infrastructure that will connect communities for decades to come.

Municipal broadband providers, which play a vital role in bridging the digital divide, should have equitable access to federal funding regardless of state regulatory roadblocks, said Gigi Sohn, executive director of the American Association for Public Broadband.

The Arkansas State Broadband Office (ASBO) recently launched its Digital Skills and Opportunity Survey as part of the state’s larger planning process to better understand the complexities of the digital divide.

There are currently 291,000 locations in Minnesota that are either unserved or underserved, which is about 12 percent of homes or businesses. The state would like to fill in those gaps by 2026. An infusion of $67 million in grants allocated during the last legislative session will put a dent in that need. Federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, totaling $652 million over five years, allocated to Minnesota will go even further to bringing high-speed internet to all Minnesotans. US Sen.

Governor Wes Moore (D-MD) launched the Maryland ActNow campaign in partnership with EducationSuperHighway, reaffirming the Moore-Miller administration’s commitment to closing the digital divide by extending broadband internet access to all Marylanders and making it more affordable.

The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant rules established by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are going to be a difficult hurdle for many internet service providers to cross. If you are thinking of applying to BEAD, read these rules carefully. The rules start on page 56 of the NOFO.

The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority will soon have $1.16 billion in funds to upgrade internet service – and that effort is moving forward by collecting stories from community leaders across Pennsylvania, said Brandon Carson, the authority’s executive director. Carson met with local leaders, business operators and internet service providers from across Somerset, Cambria and Fayette (PA) counties during a “Broadband Through Community” meeting – one of 20 sessions planned statewide to gather feedback and insight about local internet needs and concerns.

The recommendations in this report focus on the Federal Communications Commission's Community Equity and Diversity Council's mission of “advancing equity in the provision of access to digital communication services and products for all people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, location, sex or disability.

The broadband industry of late has been buzzing with excitement after the White House revealed how much each state is getting from the $42.5 billion Broadband Access, Equity and Deployment (BEAD) program. Some states—like California, Texas and Missouri—bagged sizable BEAD allocations.

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.