Digital Equity Stimulus Funding

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP)  includes provisions that will or could cover the cost of broadband service and devices, broadband infrastructure deployment, broadband mapping and broadband adoption. The rules for use of these funds have not yet been distributed by the authority agency:

• The Emergency Connectivity Fund ($7.171 billion) – Reimburses schools and libraries for providing free broadband service (and connected devices) to students and patrons at their homes. This Fund is likely to be used for sponsored / single payer agreements. 
• The Homeowners Assistance Fund ($9.961 billion) – Treasury will make grants to states to administer programs assisting homeowners with mortgage payments and related costs including internet service.
• The Local Fiscal Recovery Fund ($350 billion) – Treasury will distribute funds to municipalities and counties, tribes, territories and states to keep first responders, frontline health workers, teachers, and other providers of vital services safely on the job as states, local governments, Tribes, and territories roll out vaccines and fight to rebuild Main Street economies. Digital inclusion is assumed to be an eligible use of funds.
• The Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund ($10 billion) – Treasury will distribute funds to States, territories, and Tribal governments to carry out critical capital projects directly enabling work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the pandemic. The funding could be limited to broadband and broadband adoption. 
• Institute for Museum and Library Services ($200 million) – Grant funding for necessary expenses to carry out museum and library services. 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act includes:

• The Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives ($285 Million) – Collaborate with Federal agencies to carry out broadband internet access service support programs to determine how to expand access to broadband internet access service and other digital opportunities in anchor communities.
• The Tribal Connectivity Program ($1 billion) – Grants to eligible entities to expand access to and adoption of broadband service on Tribal land; or remote learning, telework, or telehealth resources during the COVID–19 pandemic.
• Broadband Expansion to Underserved Communities ($300 million) – Grants for competitively and technologically neutral projects for the deployment of fixed broadband service that provides at least 25/3 in an eligible area (census block with at least one household or business that does not have access to 25/3).