Biden Administration’s $42 Billion Broadband Initiative is Now in Motion

President Joe Biden has today detailed the allocation of $42 billion intended for the improvement of broadband internet access across the United States. This fund, which has been made available via the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, targets complete access to high-speed internet for every American citizen by the end of the decade.

Texas has been allocated the lion’s share of the funding, receiving $3.3 billion. Meanwhile, eighteen additional states, including Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, will be granted over $1 billion each. The minimum grant any state will receive is $107 million. The plan also considers several U.S. territories, assigning $27 million for the U.S. Virgin Islands and a significant $334 million for Puerto Rico.

A White House statement reads, “With these allocations and other investments from the Biden administration, every state, including DC and the territories, now possesses the resources necessary to ensure reliable, affordable high-speed internet access for every resident and small business by 2030.”

Last year, the White House rolled out an initiative under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, promising at least $100 million for each state. However, the remainder of the funding remained pending until the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) compiled a detailed map to identify which residences and businesses were bereft of high-speed internet. Funding distribution will follow this map.

Despite unveiling a first draft of the map in November, incorporating intricate data, both Democratic and Republican politicians voiced concerns that it excluded millions of residences and businesses. The politicians urged the White House to hold off the broadband initiative until these issues were addressed.

After considering public and state feedback, the FCC revealed an updated version in May. As reported by The Washington Post, this new map rectified around 4 million errors, thus identifying approximately half a million additional homes, businesses, and other locations lacking any internet access. In total, the FCC discovered that over 8.3 million homes and businesses are without high-speed internet.

The initial focus of the states will be to provide broadband to areas with zero access. Any remaining funds can then be utilized to enhance internet access for areas with sluggish speeds.

The distribution of all the funds might span up to two years. States, Washington DC, and other territories are required to submit their initial grant program proposals by the end of the current year. Once approved by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, states will be eligible to request at least 20 percent of their allocation. However, access to the full allocation may not be granted until the plans are finalized, possibly by 2025, as reported by Reuters.

Most of the broadband-deficient locations are in rural areas. Typically, large providers have refrained from introducing broadband in these regions due to the smaller population and the substantial cost of setting up the necessary infrastructure.

Update 6/26 12:06PM ET: Additional information regarding the funding has been included.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Biden’s Broadband Initiative

More about Biden’s Broadband Initiative

• 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
• Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Broadband Data Collection
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration