US President Joe Biden unveiled on Friday, June 16, a grant program worth $930 million to improve internet connectivity in unserved areas of the country.
According to Gizmodo, the grants for the initiative of the US Department of Commerce, Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure, cover 35 states and Puerto Rico to facilitate the long-distance transport of high-speed internet access and significant volumes of data.
High-Speed Internet for Low-Income Americans
Twenty internet service providers, including Verizon, Spectrum, AT&T, and Optimum, have teamed up with the White House on the Affordable Connectivity Program to give low-income Americans access to high-speed internet for $30 per month or less, with no out-of-pocket expense for eligible families.
GetInternet.gov is where anyone can see whether they qualify for free internet and submit an application.
Mitch Landrieu, White House infrastructure coordinator, told AP News that these networks constitute the backbone responsible for transporting massive volumes of data across great distances. "They're the ones that are bridging the gap between the larger networks and the last mile connections, from tribal lands to underserved rural and remote areas to essential institutions like hospitals, schools, libraries, and major businesses," he added.
The Department of Commerce awarded the largest grant from this program. It will provide $89 million to an Alaska telecommunications operator to help offer high-speed fiber-optic internet to areas of the state where as much as 55% of the population does not have access to it. A separate significant award of $73 million is headed to a California firm, while $61 million is going to a telecommunications business in Michigan.
These funding recipients are expected to complete their broadband networks within five years.
Biden's $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
The $65 billion is part of the $1 trillion infrastructure plan that Biden signed into law in 2021. Its purpose is to finance the expansion of broadband internet access to underserved areas and retail establishments.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson told AP News that middle mile infrastructure is the "connective tissue" between the networks serving households and businesses.
"NTIA's Middle Mile Program is a force multiplier for connectivity and will be essential to delivering a cost-efficient Internet for All. The volume of applications we received demonstrates the high demand for increasing middle mile capacity throughout the country," Davidson stated.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced in October 2022 that it had received more than 235 applications for the program. It is now supporting the latest effort for the Internet for All grant, which, according to officials, will reach 350 counties.
Wally Adeyemo, the deputy secretary of the Treasury, said in a statement that increasing people's access to the internet is crucial to fostering economic growth throughout the nation. He said this money is an integral element of the historic investments made by the Biden-Harris Administration to provide high-speed internet to millions more Americans and allow them to engage in the economy of the 21st century more fully.
