Level of Government

The Federal Communications Commission is committing nearly $84 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Program (ECP), which provides digital services for students in communities across the country.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awards Nebraska with its first “Internet for All” grant for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs. Nebraska is receiving $5,598,563.04 in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet throughout the state. Nebraska will receive $4,999,817.07 to fund:

Onondaga County (NY) has selected Verizon to deploy broadband in several communities in this Central New York area. With $11.1 million in funding provided as part of the American Rescue plan (ARPA) and a nearly $7 million dollar investment from Verizon, almost $18 million will be spent on bringing all-fiber, high-speed broadband services to over 1,500 locations in the county. Verizon’s bid was supported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Verizon will leverage its supplier relationships to meet the goals set by Onondaga County related to Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises

The Federal Communications Commission is set to release the first round of its updated national broadband map.

One aim of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is to ensure that every American has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service. The law allocates $65 billion to expand broadband in communities across the U.S., create more low-cost broadband service options, subsidize the cost of service for low-income households, and provide funding to address digital equity and inclusion needs.

The Federal Communications Commission's s Broadband Data Task Force (Task Force), Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB), and Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) announced that parties may now begin the process of obtaining a license to the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric for purposes of preparing and submitting challenges through the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC). To access the Fabric data, each entity must register in the Commission Registration System (CORES), log into the BDC system, and execute a limited end-user license agreement for the Fabric.

The Internet For All initiative is moving with speed to deliver on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s goal.  We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in the first year, which includes:

State and territory broadband offices have dramatically increased in size over the past year as they deploy billions of dollars in economic recovery funds and start to manage a historic federal investment in broadband expansion.

Unions representing millions of workers in telecommunications, tech, and media as well as most sectors of the US wrote the US Senate to strongly support Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] for the role of Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and urge swift action on her nomination. The FCC needs a fully seated commission in order to make critical decisions during a period of increased federal investment in broadband networks and digital equity initiatives.

One year ago, President Joe Biden (D-DE) signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness.