Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Getting access to broadband services remains a challenge for many residents of affordable rental housing. Though these properties are often in areas that have high-speed internet service, physical access and cost may keep households offline. Recognizing these challenges, several states have directed funding toward programs focused on expanding broadband access in affordable rental housing. Pandemic relief funds are another tool states are using to improve broadband access in low-income neighborhoods and affordable rental housing. Several states have also allocated a portion of their 

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US Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and John Thune (R-SD) introduced the Accurate Map for Broadband Investment Act, bipartisan legislation to ensure that the Federal Communications Commission has time to update and fix the  National Broadband Map before the Department of Commerce fully allocates broadband infrastructure funding.

The federal infrastructure bill enacted in late 2021 included resources and funding requirements to significantly narrow the gap between American households that have access to affordable, high-speed internet and those that do not. Although much of the implementation effort is in the hands of state governments, Congress’ work on expanding broadband access is far from over.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has expressed a preference for fiber when it comes to dispensing $42.5 billion from the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding. But the NTIA rules allow U.S. states some leeway in regard to areas where it will be extremely expensive to deploy fiber. Specifically, states and territories must define their thresholds for extreme high-cost locations.

The nation’s spring construction season is starting up, and, in theory, it should be a big one. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act devoted more than $1 trillion dollars to upgrading the country’s roads, rails and ports. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act is supposed to pump tens of billions more into renewables and other energy infrastructure.

President Joe Biden made clear in his 2023 State of the Union address that as the US spends billions of dollars on new broadband connections, “we’re going to buy American.” But that aspiration is easier said than done. While there seems to be enough domestic fiber optic cable to connect communities, the electronic components such as routers that transform glass strands into data highways are made mainly in other countries.

To maximize the impact of the Biden-Harris administration’s historic infrastructure, manufacturing, and clean energy investments, the US Department of Labor announced the availability of $80 million in funding through its Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program. The Investing in America agenda, which includes legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act, is creating millions of good-paying jobs in renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure sectors, and the Biden-Harris administrat

The Federal Communications Commission announced a series of enhancements to the online consumer application system for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to make it easier for eligible consumers to apply and enroll in the program. The nation’s largest-ever broadband affordability effort, the ACP is now supporting internet connections in 17 million households.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel responded to a letter from a group of senators regarding broadband consumer labels and pricing transparency. Specifically, Sens Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) urged the FCC to independently collect pricing data as the Commission fulfills its requirement of providing internet service provider (ISP) broadband consumer labels. In her response, Chairwoman Rosenworcel highlighted two actions taken by the Commission in late 2022.