How local governments may be able to access some of the $65.2 billion in federal broadband funding

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $65 billion to help close the digital divide and ensure that all Americans have access to reliable, high-speed, and affordable broadband. That means there are unprecedented amounts of broadband funding available for states, territories and providers. 

According to Consumer Reports, writing about the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, “The bulk of the money, $45.2 billion, will go directly to states and territories to fund internet improvements. The intent is to focus on unserved and underserved areas of the country, those that lack any internet access or where consumers can receive only low-bandwidth speeds. At least $100 million is reserved for each of the 50 states, and an additional $100 million is to be split among American territories, such as Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

Currently, there is a wide array of funding opportunities. Contained in the larger funding initiatives is a complex web of more than 80 smaller programs, targeted towards communities with digital needs, separated out by various factors such as ethnicities, geographies and economies. 

Each state and territory can apply to the various federal agencies for funds, which they can then put towards localized broadband projects. So, local governments or tribal councils need to appeal to state agencies for funding.  Each state has a slightly different approach to selecting broadband projects to fund and some states select which providers are eligible to partner with localities or regions on broadband projects. 

According to a Pew Research Center Issue Brief, “The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)is responsible for overseeing the distribution of funding to `eligible entities,’ which are the 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories, and it has established five minimum requirements for all BEAD-funded projects.”

• Deliver internet service that has reliable speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps and low enough latency to support real-time applications such as videoconferencing.
• Build and operate networks with fewer than 48 combined hours of outages per year.
• Provide broadband service to within four years of receipt of funds and make connectivity available to anyone within the area covered by the funding award.
• Develop cybersecurity and risk management plans to ensure that critical infrastructure is protected.
• Participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Affordable Connectivity Program, and offer at least one low-cost broadband service option.

The Pew Center brief delivers in-depth and comprehensive information. According to that brief, “To meet the requirements of the BEAD Program, states and territories are already scaling up their broadband programs to ensure proper data collection, planning, stakeholder engagement, and funding decisions.” 

Federal officials said they will know exactly how much money each state is receiving from the BEAD program by mid-2023.  The money is currently being doled out; if your community hasn’t already applied for funding, the time is now. 

Resources for local governments

Are you unsure of which grants may be available for your locality? The NTIA has a database with information on more than 80 federal programs across 14 federal agencies whose funding can be used for broadband-related purposes. The NTIA is monitoring all the separate programs available under the BEAD. 

• The NTIA’s Access Broadband Report includes a searchable database, downloadable spreadsheet, a PDF guide, and an interactive guide to make it easier for visitors to more quickly find resources that meet their funding needs. 
• Broadband funding for some rural or tribal lands, are addressed under the  Rural Broadband Accountability Plan, which  is administered by the U.S. Department Of Agriculture USDA.  The Universal Service Fund has published annual filing requirements for these programs. 
• Forms and filing deadlines for the FCC Rural Broadband Accountability Plan can be found here.
• The Rural Health Care (RHC) program offers funding assistance for a variety of expenses related to broadband connectivity through the Healthcare Connect Fund. 
• The updated Federal Communications Commission National Broadband (FCC) map can be found here.  The map is searchable by location (individual addresses) and area and offers downloadable data that details which carriers offer broadband access at a given location. Additionally, the map details speeds and services available. This information may be crucial in seeking funding. 
• The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is an independent not-for-profit organization designated by the FCC to administer the Universal Service Fund (USF).  If any party wishes to appeal a USAC decision, they can seek review prior to filing an appeal with the FCC. 
• The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, released an interesting report entitled:  Putting State Broadband Funds to Work: Best Practices in State Rural Broadband Grant Programs. Local, tribal and state government workers may find this report helpful.
  
• Do you have questions about how it all works in your state? Fierce Telecom put together a very helpful list of the officials who are overseeing broadband efforts in every state.

Broadband expansion in action

Here’s a good example of how all this funding can help local communities. Last year, Charter Communications completed a rural broadband expansion project that brought high-speed internet to more than 200 underserved rural homes in the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin. Crews worked through heavily forested areas, rocky terrain, and numerous water crossings to expand the network under an aggressive timeline. 

Spectrum Enterprise and Charter Communications Inc. have committed to a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar rural construction initiative. We continue to add miles of fiber-optic network infrastructure to deliver gigabit-speed internet access to unserved populations nationwide.