On Friday Nov. 5, Congress passed the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which includes $65 billion to ensure all Americans have access to reliable, affordable broadband. See the White House Fact Sheet for more information about the IIJA.
Funding Programs:
- $42.45 billion for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which provides grants to states to fund broadband network deployment, adoption and other broadband-related programs. Read analysis of the BEAD program from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.
- $14.2 billion to the FCC for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which is a permanent, modified version of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. Read the Benton Institute’s analysis.
- $2.75 billion for digital inclusion and equity projects. Read the Benton Institute’s analysis.
- $2 billion in additional funding for the USDA ReConnect program.
- $2 billion in additional funding for the NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
- $1 billion for a new program to improve middle-mile infrastructure. Read the Benton Institute’s analysis.
- $600 million appropriation for tax-exempt Private Activity Bonds (PABs) to finance broadband deployment in rural areas.
What’s Next?
The clock is ticking for federal agencies to develop and implement these programs. State and local governments and any potential funding recipients must be prepared to utilize and deploy these historic levels of funding.
The Colorado Broadband Office will continue working closely with the NTIA, FCC and USDA to ensure this funding is utilized effectively to provide reliable and affordable broadband to every Coloradan.
Read more about the impact of the IIJA on broadband funding at axios.com.