Here's How the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is Delivering Broadband in Your State

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Digital Beat

Here's How the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is Delivering Broadband in Your State

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is, in part, a $65 billion investment in closing the digital divide. 

  • The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is providing $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington (DC), Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
  • The Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program provides funding for a vital part of our nation's high-speed network. With $1 billion in funding, the program will reduce the cost of bringing high-speed internet to unserved and underserved communities.
  • The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a $3 billion program directed to tribal governments to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion. 
  • The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a Federal Communications Commission benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

To mark the law's second anniversary of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the White House released state-by-state fact sheets with information about how funding from the law is helping to deploy broadband networks where they haven't reached before while also connecting and keeping connected low-income households around the country.

Over 331,206 homes and small businesses in Alabama do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Alabama has received $1.4 billion through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) to provide access to high-speed internet to everyone in Alabama. Alabama also received $26.3 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. In addition, about 390,000 households in Alabama—21 percent of all households in the state—are enrolled in the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

Over 88,185 homes and small businesses in Alaska do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Alaska has received $1 billion through the BEAD Program to provide access to high-speed internet to everyone in Alaska. Alaska also received $88.9 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. In addition, about 21,000 households in Alaska, eight percent of all households there, are enrolled in the ACP. In June 2023, the Department of Agriculture awarded $35 million to Mukluk Telephone Company to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 875 people, 30 businesses, and six educational facilities in Nome Census Area in Alaska. This unique investment ensures that rural communities have access to the internet connectivity needed to allow rural America to remain a place of opportunity to both live and work.

In Arizona, over 177,325 homes and small businesses lack access to broadband infrastructure. Arizona received $993.1 million through the BEAD Program to connect everyone in the state to reliable high-speed internet. More than 489,000 Arizona households (18% of all households) are participating in the ACP. The Department of Commerce awarded $43.3 million to Pima County (AZ) to create a 134-mile contiguous open-access fiber network ring. 

More than 201,000 Arkansas households (18% of all households) are already saving on their monthly internet bill through the Affordable Connectivity Program. Arkansas received $1 billion in BEAD funds to connect the over 215,621 homes and small businesses in Arkansas that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure.

In June 2023, the Department of Commerce awarded $73 million to the California Department of Technology to construct 680 miles of middle-mile fiber across 37 spurs that are part of the larger statewide middle-mile network, bringing it within 5 miles of 288,000 of the 306,910 unserved addresses in the state and 14 Tribal entities, and within 1,000 feet of 1,124 anchor institutions. California received $1.9 billion in BEAD funding to connect everyone in the state to reliable high-speed internet. One in five California households (more than 2,657,000) participate in ACP.

Colorado received $826.5 million in BEAD funding to connect everyone in the state to reliable high-speed internet where over 147,484 homes and small businesses are unserved. The Department of Commerce awarded $2.7 million to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners to build 78,000 feet of aerial fiber and 29,000 feet of underground fiber to provide a protected ring from the Pueblo datacenter to six remote cabinets. The award will lead to a last-mile project that will connect over 41,000 homes and small businesses to high-speed internet. More than 229,000 Colorado households (10% of all households) are enrolled in ACP.

Connecticut received $144.2 million in BEAD funding and more than 174,000 Connecticut households (13% of total) are enrolled in ACP. Over 11,693 homes and small businesses in Connecticut do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. 

The First State, Delaware, has over 2,052 homes and small businesses that do not have access to broadband infrastructure; the state received $107.7 million from the BEAD program to connect these locations. About 48,000 households (13% of all households in Delaware) are enrolled in ACP. 

The Department of Commerce awarded $2.8 million to WANRack to build 44.8 miles of open access middle-mile, high-speed internet infrastructure from north of Lakeland, Florida, going through Pasco and Zephyrhills/Dade City and then continuing north into Hernando County. Nearly 273,000 Floridian homes and small businesses do not have access to broadband infrastructure; the state received $1.2 billion in BEAD funding to connect them. More than 1,579,000 households (20%) in Florida are enrolled in the ACP.

Georgia received $1.3 billion in BEAD support to connect over 315,780 homes and small businesses that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Georgia also received $12.2 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. In addition, the Department of Agriculture awarded $9.5 million to Pembroke Telephone Company to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that provides high-speed internet. This network will benefit 3,332 people, 55 businesses, 120 farms, and four educational facilities in Candler, Evans and Tattnall counties in Georgia. More than 667,000 (17%) Georgia households are enrolled in ACP.

The Department of Commerce awarded $37.4 million to Hawaiian Telcom in June 2023 to build five new terrestrial and undersea routes and over 600 kilometers of fiber. The award will help bring service to the state where over 11,671 homes and small businesses do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Hawai'i received $149.5 million from BEAD to connect everyone in the state to reliable high-speed internet. One in nine (55,000+ total) Hawai'i households is enrolled in ACP. 

Nearly 86,000 homes and small businesses in Idaho do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Idaho has received $583.3 million through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program—and $6.2 million from the Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program to connect them. About 49,000 households in Idaho (7% of all homes there) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Land of Lincoln received $14.6 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure and $1 billion in BEAD support to connect over 239,688 homes and small businesses in Illinois that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. About 643,000 households in Illinois (13% of all households in the state) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. In addition, the Department of Agriculture has awarded $18 million to McDonough Telephone Cooperative to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network in Illinois. The network will connect 1,583 people, 274 farms, and 41 businesses to high-speed internet in Hancock, Henderson, McDonough and Warren counties. The company will make internet access affordable through the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program and the ACP.

Indiana has received $11.7 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state and $868.1 million from BEAD to connect over 202,021 homes and small businesses in Indiana. The ACP is making broadband service more affordable for 396,000 households, 15 percent of all households in Indiana.

The Department of Commerce awarded $37.8 million to Iowa to build new connections in energy infrastructure, making fiber available for middle-mile broadband. Iowa will be offering unused capacity on its existing fiber network as new open-access middle mile. The design also supports efficient connections to unserved and underserved anchor institutions. The award is part of a larger plan to help Iowa reach over 83,509 homes and small businesses that do not have access to broadband infrastructure. Iowa also received $415.3 million from the BEAD program to connect everyone in the state. More than 115,000 Iowa households (9% of all households there) are saving on their monthly internet bill due to ACP. 

The Department of Commerce awarded approximately $42 million to the Kansas Departments of Commerce and Transportation to create a 682-mile open-access middle-mile fiber optic network, with plans to connect multiple new internet exchange points throughout the Sunflower State. The proposed network will support the needs of last-mile service providers, increase capabilities for anchor institutions, enable connections to unserved and underserved households, and increase competition in local markets, thereby creating more affordable service options. Kansas also received $451.7 million through the BEAD Program to reach over 87,489 unserved homes and small businesses. Eleven percent of households in Kansas (about 125,000 total) are enrolled in ACP.

Kentucky has received $1.1 billion through the BEAD Program to provide access to high-speed internet to everyone in Kentucky, where over 259,258 homes and small businesses lack access. About one in four (432,000) households in Kentucky is enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

Louisiana leads the U.S. with 30 percent of its households (more than 519,000 total) participating in ACP. Louisiana received $1.4 billion through BEAD to provide access to high-speed internet to everyone in the state where over 296,777 homes and small businesses do not have access to broadband infrastructure.

The Department of Commerce awarded approximately $30 million to Maine to design, build, and operate the Maine Online Optical Statewide Enabling (MOOSE) Network, a new, east-west 531 middle mile fiber optic route that will anchor the state's strategic goal of providing universal broadband access. Maine has ALSO received $272 million through the BEAD Program to provide access to high-speed internet to everyone in the state, where over 42,264 homes and small businesses lack access to high-speed internet infrastructure. One in six Maine households (95,000 in total) are enrolled in the ACP.

The Old Line State has over 44,411 homes and small businesses that can't access broadband internet infrastructure. Maryland received $267.7 million through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's BEAD Program and $15.4 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure. About 12 percent of Maryland's households (about 263,000) are enrolled in ACP. 

About 1 in 8 (349,000) households in Massachusetts are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. Over 12,522 homes and small businesses lack access to broadband infrastructure and the state received $147.4 million in BEAD funding to connect them.

With a keen ability to read other states' signals, Michigan received $1.6 billion to connect everyone in the state to reliable high-speed internet; over 368,390 homes and small businesses lack access. Michigan also received $61.3 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. About 820,000 households in Michigan (about 1 in every 5 households) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Department of Agriculture has awarded approximately $19 million to the Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet in Minnesota. This network will benefit 458 people, 16 businesses, 124 farms and one educational facility in Kandiyohi, Meeker and Stearns counties. This unique investment ensures that rural communities have access to the internet connectivity needed to allow rural America to remain a place of opportunity to both live and work. Minnesota has received $651.8 million in BEAD funding to connect over 135,984 homes and small businesses that lack access to broadband. In addition, about 234,000 households in Minnesota (11% of households in the state) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

Mississippi received $1.2 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act BEAD support to connect over 268,365 homes and small businesses to reliable high-speed internet. More than 229,000 Mississippi households (21%) are already saving on their monthly internet bill due to the Affordable Connectivity Program.

In Missouri, about 371,000 households (15% of total) rely on the ACP to make broadband service affordable. The Show Me State received $26.5 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state and $1.7 billion in BEAD support to help connect 337,484 homes and small businesses to affordable, reliant broadband. The Missouri Network Alliance will use the middle-mile funding to grow and strengthen fixed wireless and cellular connectivity across the 21 counties connected by the project, including advancements in new wireless technologies that require fiber connectivity. These routes will also support a new initiative to bring fiber connectivity to farms enabling next-generation farm devices.

Over 104,534 homes and small businesses in Montana do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is providing the state with $629 million through the BEAD Program to connect them. Montana received $11.8 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. In addition, Nemont Telephone Cooperative received a $35 million grant from the Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program to deploy a fiber-to-the-home network across four counties in Montana: Phillips, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Valley. This network will benefit 2,350 people, 115 businesses, 63 farms, and 18 educational facilities in rural Montana, and Nemont Telephone Cooperative will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program. This project will serve Fort Peck Reservation and socially vulnerable communities in Roosevelt and Sheridan counties. About 53,000 households (11%) in Montana are already enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Department of Commerce awarded approximately $36 million to Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and its 100 percent Tribally owned subsidiary Quick Current to deploy a fiber-based, middle-mile network to cover currently unserved and underserved Tribal and adjacent rural areas in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. The project will provide middle-mile infrastructure and services to the surrounding areas of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa. Overall, Nebraska has over 70,478 homes and small businesses that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. The BEAD Program has provided $405.3 million to connect these locations. In addition, about 91,000 households in Nebraska (12%) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Nevada has received $416.7 million through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program to provide access to high-speed internet to the over 51,689 homes and small businesses that lack access. Nevada also received funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. The Department of Commerce awarded approximately $43.5 million to improve regional network redundancy and resiliency for networks that serve last-mile residential areas, the government, and anchor institutions by completing a statewide fiber ring. Operated on a non-discriminatory basis, the network will support interconnections with any provider seeking access to deliver last-mile broadband services. More than one out of five households in Nevada (250,000 total) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Granite State includes over 25,572 homes and small businesses that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. New Hampshire received $12 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state and $196.6 million in BEAD funding to deploy networks to the unserved. Middle-mile networks connect local networks to robust, high-capacity national and regional networks, lowering the cost of connecting unserved and underserved communities. The County of Grafton has received nearly $12 million from the Department of Commerce. The project will develop the 222-mile County of Grafton middle-mile backbone through population centers by building new fiber optic cable to close gaps and leveraging existing infrastructure to reduce the cost of buildout. The backbone will be available for municipalities to tap into, enabling those municipalities to better serve the “last mile” of homes and small businesses. About seven percent of households in New Hampshire (about 36,000) participate in ACP.

Over 43,324 homes and small businesses in the Garden State do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. New Jersey received $24.2 million in funding and $263.7 million through BEAD to connect unserved locations. About 296,000 households in New Jersey (9% of the total) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

New Mexico has received $675.4 million through the BEAD to provide access to high-speed internet to everyone in the state where over 114,997 homes and small businesses lacking access. In addition, about 22 percent (173,000) of households in New Mexico are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

More than 1.6 million New York households (21%) are already saving on their monthly internet bill due to the ACP. New York received $664.6 million in BEAD support and $14.5 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure and connect over 149,369 homes and small businesses. With Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act support, the Development Authority of the North Country will bring broadband access to communities—and bolster reliability and resilience for electricity service, increase the reach of emergency and health services, increase grid cybersecurity, and improve connectivity for U.S. defense assets.

North Carolina has received $1.5 billion through BEAD to provide access to high-speed internet to over 376,039 homes and small businesses. North Carolina also received $11.2 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. About 863,000 households in North Carolina (21%) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Department of Commerce awarded $19.7 million to the Dakota Carrier Network to add middle-mile fiber route miles and upgrade electronics to support the increased network demand in North Dakota. In total, the project will add 874 fiber miles that will facilitate additional redundancy and resiliency of the network. And North Dakota received $130.2 million from the BEAD Program to connect over 7,988 unserved locations. Just five percent of North Dakota's households are currently enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

With more than 183,709 homes and small businesses lacking access to broadband infrastructure, the Ohio state received $793.7 million through BEAD and $27.5 million through the Middle Mile Infrastructure Program. The Department of Agriculture awarded $21.3 million Amplex Electric to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 3,134 people, 65 businesses, and 187 farms in Ottawa and Sandusky Counties. This unique investment ensures that rural communities have access to the internet connectivity needed to allow rural America to remain a place of opportunity to both live and work. Twenty-three percent of households in Ohio (over 1.1 million) participate in ACP. 

In June 2023, the Department of Agriculture awarded $5 million to the Canadian Valley Telephone Company to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 1,505 people, 36 businesses, 61 farms and three educational facilities in Pittsburg County in Oklahoma. The award is part of larger efforts to connect more than 150,718 unserved locations in the state. Oklahoma has received $797.4 million through BEAD and the Affordability Connectivity Program is helping 325,000 households (13%) stay connected.

About 215,000 households in Oregon (13%) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. Oregon has received $688.9 million in BEAD funding to connect over 122,384 homes and small businesses to high-speed internet infrastructure.

For nearly 280,000 homes and small businesses in Pennsylvania, fast, reliable broadband is unavailable. Pennsylvania has received $1.2 billion from BEAD to connect these locations. In addition, about 706,000 households in Pennsylvania (14%) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

About 79,000 households in Rhode Island (nearly 20% of all households there) are enrolled in ACP. Rhode Island has received $108.7 million in BEAD funding to connect over 2,309 homes and small businesses in Rhode Island do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure.

About 27 percent of South Carolina's residents live in rural areas. A USDA ReConnect program investment will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet to socially vulnerable communities in Orangeburg County. This network will benefit 4,155 people, 172 businesses, 72 farms, and 13 educational facilities and will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program. Overall, about 399,000 households in South Carolina are enrolled in ACP—that's 20 percent of all households in the state. South Carolina has received $551.5 million through BEAD to connect over 119,580 homes and small businesses in South Carolina do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure.

South Dakota has received $207.2 million through the BEAD Program to provide access to high-speed internet to over 28,397 homes and small businesses in South Dakota that currently lack access. In addition, about six percent (21,000) of households in South Dakota are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Over 186,394 homes and small businesses in Tennessee do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Tennessee has received $813.3 million in BEAD funding to connect these unserved locations. Tennessee also received $20.4 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. Currently, about 406,000 Tennessee households (17% of total) are participating in ACP.

Earlier this month, voters in Texas supported Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment to create the Broadband Infrastructure Fund. The fund is financed through money allocated by the state legislature, gifts, grants, and investment earnings. The purpose of the fund is to enhance the availability and usage of broadband and telecommunications services. Money appropriated to this fund by the state legislature is not counted towards the state's appropriation limit. The Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund will receive $3.3 billion in federal BEAD money to connect over 779,378 homes and small businesses in the state that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. About 16 percent of Texas households (almost 1.65 million) participate in the ASCP. 

Utah will use $317.4 million in BEAD funding to connect over 41,535 homes and small businesses in the state that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. About 67,000 households in Utah (7%) participate in ACP.

Over 33,646 homes and small businesses in Vermont do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure; the state will spend $228.9 million from the BEAD program to connect them. About nine percent of Vermont households (24,000) participate in ACP.

Virginia has received $1.5 billion through the BEAD Program to connect over 364,156 homes and small businesses that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Virginia also received $16.4 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. About 13 percent of all Virginia households (429,000) rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program for help paying for monthly internet access bills. 

Washington State has over 236,535 homes and small businesses that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Washington received $11.8 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state and $1.2 billion in BEAD funding to connect those unserved locations. The Department of Commerce provided funding to Whidbey Telephone Company for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of middle-mile infrastructure for the underserved community of Point Roberts, Washington, and surrounding areas. The project includes 47.6 miles of new terrestrial underground fiber and 63.1 miles of undersea fiber.  The proposed infrastructure routes will address the local demand for high-speed and reliable internet for households, businesses, and community anchor institutions. In addition, about 320,000 households in Washington (11%) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

In June 2023, the Department of Commerce awarded approximately $25 million to Appalachian Power Company (APCo) to enable last-mile internet service providers (ISPs) and address the broadband needs of Raleigh, Wyoming, McDowell, Mercer, and Summers counties in West Virginia. The lack of broadband severely limits access to internet services, including those related to energy efficiency, healthcare, training and education as well as the opportunity for general economic development in small towns across this region. APCo will offer middle-mile broadband to all qualified ISPs within its network service area which will reduce barriers to entry for ISPs, encourage competition, improve service levels, and lower costs for end-users. Enabling ISPs to connect to the proposed middle-mile network will help rural communities to access these services, thereby promoting several key national, state, and local objectives. West Virginia has over 271,624 homes and small businesses that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. The state is relying on $1.2 billion in BEAD funding to help connect these unserved locations. About 119,000 households in West Virginia (17%) are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

About 17 percent of all Wisconsin households are enrolled in ACP. Over 253,097 homes and small businesses do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure; the state will use $1.1 billion in BEAD support to help connect them. Wisconsin also received $14.9 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. The Department of Commerce is supporting the Dairyland Power Cooperative's Tri-State Fiber Deployment Project (TSFDP), which will retrofit 240.23 miles of fiber optic communications network using mostly optical ground wire (OPGW) on DPCs transmission lines in three years. Through the TSFDP, last-mile providers in these regions will have enhanced capacity to reach unserved and unserved residents at affordable rates and help bridge the state's digital divide. 

Wyoming has received $347.9 million through the BEAD Program to provide access to high-speed internet to over 39,215 homes and small businesses. Wyoming also received $1.3 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the state. About nine percent of all Wyoming households (21,000) rely on ACP to be able to afford monthly internet access.

In American Samoa, over 1,783 homes and small businesses do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. American Samoa received $37.6 million to connect everyone in the territory to reliable high-speed internet. More than 2,000 American Samoa households are already saving on their monthly internet bill through ACP.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands received $80.8 million to connect everyone to reliable high-speed internet. Over 10,331 homes and small businesses in the Northern Mariana Islands do not have access to broadband infrastructure. More than 4,000 households in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are already saving on their monthly internet bill due to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

In the District of Columbia, over 184 homes and small businesses do not have access to broadband infrastructure. DC received $100.7 million in BEAD funding. More than 60,000 District of Columbia households are enrolled in ACP.

Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Guam received $156.8 million to connect everyone in the territory to reliable high-speed internet and, as of today, more than 1,000 Guam households are participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

Puerto Rico received $334.6 million in BEAD funding to connect over 61,871 homes and small businesses in Puerto Rico do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. Puerto Rico also received $9.3 million in funding to expand middle-mile infrastructure in the territory. The Department of Commerce awarded Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico LLC to fund 63 miles of new middle mile infrastructure in geographies where the applicant has been awarded Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund ('Uniendo') from the Federal Communications Commission for last-mile services. In addition, about 622,000 households in Puerto Rico are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 invested $1.9 billion to connect 226 Tribal communities to broadband because over one-third of Indian Country lacks broadband infrastructure that delivers even minimally sufficient speeds. The Affordable Connectivity Program cuts internet bills by up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands; over 287,000 households on Tribal lands are now enrolled.

The U.S. Virgin Islands has received $28.4 million through the BEAD Program to provide access to over 557 homes and small businesses that do not have access to high-speed internet infrastructure. About 5,000 households in the U.S. Virgin Islands are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.


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Kevin Taglang

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Broadband Delivers Opportunities and Strengthens Communities


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