US to spend US$42 billion to make internet access universal by 2030
- Texas and California – the two most populous US states – top the funding list at US$3.1 billion and US$1.9 billion, respectively
- Broadband companies have been reluctant to provide access to rural communities because the investments are high and they do not offer a lot of subscribers
The White House on Monday divvied up US$42 billion among the nation’s 50 states and US territories to make access to high-speed broadband universal by 2030, as it launched a new publicity campaign for President Joe Biden’s economic policies.
The funding under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Programme was authorised by the US$1 trillion 2021 infrastructure law Biden championed. The spending will be based on a newly released Federal Communications Commission coverage map that details gaps in access.
Texas and California – the two most populous US states – top the funding list at US$3.1 billion and US$1.9 billion, respectively. But other, less populous states like Virginia, Alabama and Louisiana cracked the top 10 list for funding due to lack of broadband access. These states have large rural areas with less internet connectivity than their major cities.
“It’s the biggest investment in high-speed internet ever. Because for today’s economy to work for everyone, internet access is just as important as electricity, or water, or other basic services,” Biden said in a White House address on Monday.
The awards range from US$27 million to US territories like US Virgin Islands to over US$3.3 billion for Texas, with every state receiving a minimum of US$107 million.
The announcement kicks off the second leg of Biden’s tour highlighting how legislation passed when his Democratic Party controlled Congress will affect average Americans, as his 2024 re-election bid gears up.
As part of the sales pitch, Biden is also set to give what White House officials describe as a major economic speech on Wednesday in Chicago, laying out so-called “Bidenomics,” according to a memo on Monday from senior advisers Anita Dunn and Mike Donilon to congressional Democrats and other allies.