50 Ways the American Rescue Plan Act is Improving Internet Connectivity

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Digital Beat

50 Ways the American Rescue Plan Act is Improving Internet Connectivity

Or 9.6 million, actually, but no one said there'd be math on a Saturday

Today marks the second anniversary of the American Rescue Plan Act. Funding from the law provided over $25 billion to jumpstart universal broadband access—including broadband connections for 16 million students through the Emergency Connectivity Fund for schools and libraries to close the homework gap. The American Rescue Plan also provided $10 billion to help states ensure that all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure, including broadband, through the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. Here's what the  American Rescue Plan Act is doing to improve internet connectivity in your state.

55,000 more Alabama homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the Capital Projects Fund. See Connect Alabama Gets Help From Capital Projects Fund. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is addressing the homework gap for 92,000 Alabama students by providing about 200,000 connected devices (including hotspots).

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is helping 9,000 Alaska students connect using about 23,000 devices (including hotspots).

In Robust, Resilient, Broadband Infrastructure for Arizona we see how 128,000 more Arizona homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the Capital Projects Fund. 91,000 Arizona students are relying on the Emergency Connectivity Fund for about 423,000 connected devices (including hotspots).

Arkansas Uses Capital Projects Fund to Connect Rural Areas looks at how 35,000 more Arkansas homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is addressing the homework gap for 28,000 Arkansas students, providing about 122,000 connected devices (including hotspots).

American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund is addressing the homework gap for 1,447,000 California students, providing about 1,459,000 connected devices (including hotspots).

18,000 more Colorado homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the Capital Projects Fund. See how in A Colorado for All Requires Broadband Investment. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is providing 136,000 connected devices (including hotspots) for 26,000 students in the state.

Broadband is Key to Connecticut's Future and 10,000 more Connecticut homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the Capital Projects Fund. In addition, 33,000 Connecticut students are connected via the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

The American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund is addressing the homework gap for 1,000 Delaware students, providing about 44,000 connected devices (including hotspots) for students.

Adoption is at the Heart of Florida’s Broadband Internet Policies and 48,000 more Florida homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the Capital Projects Fund. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is helping 287,000 Florida students stay connected.

70,000 more Georgia homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund. See Georgia Elects for Broadband. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is connecting 121,000 Georgia students to the internet via about 486,000 devices (including hotspots).

American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund is addressing the homework gap for 89,000 Hawaii students by providing about 117,000 connected devices (including hotspots) for students.

15,000 Idaho students are using about 94,000 connected devices (including hotspots) to do schoolwork.

American Rescue Plan Act Will Help Connect Illinois: 87,000 more Illinois homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet. And 145,000 Illinois students are connecting via about 583,000 devices (including hotspots).

Capital Projects Fund Helps Link Indiana to the World and Indiana is All IN on Broadband: 55,000 more Indiana homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet. And 46,000 Indiana students are connected because of the Emergency Connectivity Fund. 

19,000 more Iowa homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet; see how in Treasury Empowers Iowa's Push for Universal Broadband Access. The American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund is also connecting 25,000 Iowa students.

U.S. Treasury Helps Accelerate Broadband Deployment in Kansas: 21,000 more Kansas homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund. And 41,000 Kansas students are relying on connections supported by the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

Better Internet for a Better Kentucky means 45,000 more Kentucky homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet. And the Emergency Connectivity Fund is helping 142,000 Kentucky students do schoolwork using 189,000 connected devices (including hotspots).

89,000 more Louisiana homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund. See the state's approach to closing the digital divide in Treasury Helps Broadband for Everyone in Louisiana. 41,000 Louisiana students are using about 224,000 connected devices made available by the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is helping 10,000 Maine students stay connected with about 15,000 devices (including hotspots). 23,000 more Maine homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet; see how in Treasury Support Helps Connect Maine.

Treasury's Capital Projects Fund Boosts Maryland's Network Infrastructure Grant Program including 17,000 more Maryland homes and businesses enjoying affordable, high-speed internet. 101,000 Maryland students are also better connected using about 214,000 devices (including hotspots).

In Massachusetts to Launch Broadband Infrastructure Gap Networks Grant Program with Capital Projects Fund Award we learned that 16,000 more Massachusetts homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund. The American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund is also helping to close the homework gap for 64,000 Massachusetts students by providing about 206,000 connected devices (including hotspots) for students.

Michigan All-In on Closing the Digital Divide with American Rescue Plan Support: 68,000 more Michigan homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet.

Minnesota won approval for two plans to use Capital Projects Fund support to connect 33,000 more homes and businesses: see Border-to-Border Broadband for Minnesota and Minnesota Again Taps Capital Projects Fund to Bridge Broadband Deployment Gap. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is also helping 66,000 Minnesota students.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is closing the homework gap for 71,000 Mississippi students.

Missouri Using 100% of Capital Projects Fund Allocation for Broadband and that means 38,000 more Missouri homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet. 95,000 Missouri students are relying on Emergency Connectivity Fund-supported connectivity and devices.

2,000 Montana students are using 18,000 connected devices to do their schoolwork.

Capital Projects Fund Helps Build Nebraska's Broadband Bridge which will connect 21,000 Nebraska homes and businesses. 3,000 Nebraska students are connected because of the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

Federal Funding Fuels Nevada's Broadband Initiative including connecting 40,000 more Nevada homes and businesses. 70,000 Nevada students are relying on connections made possible by the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

In Broadband is the Future of New Hampshire and New Hampshire is All-In for Broadband we learned that 24,000 more New Hampshire homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund. 2,000 New Hampshire students are connected because of the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is also helping 157,000 New Jersey students with about 342,000 connected devices (including hotspots).

American Rescue Plan Helps Connect New Mexico connect 41,000  New Mexico homes and businesses. 56,000 New Mexico students are connected because of the American Rescue Plan.

Over 2.2 million New York students are using about 937,000 connected devices supported by the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

American Rescue Plan Helping North Carolina Complete Access to Broadband including 78,000 North Carolina homes and businesses. The Emergency Connectivity Fund helps 137,000 North Carolina students.

North Dakota is Expanding Broadband's Reach with Capital Projects Fund and plans to connect 4,000 more North Dakota homes and businesses. The Emergency Connectivity Fund connects 1,000 North Dakota students.

174,000 Ohio students are using about 304,000 connected devices.

144,000 students​ in Oklahoma rely on Emergency Connectivity Fund connections.

40,000 Oregon students are using 222,000 connected devices (including hotspots)  supported by the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

117,000 students in Pennsylvania are staying connected because of the American Rescue Plan.

About 51,000 connected devices are connecting 7,000 Rhode Island students.

South Carolina's Bipartisan Efforts on the 'Next, Next Greatest Thing' will lead to 31,000 more South Carolina homes and businesses receiving affordable, high-speed internet. 22,000 South Carolina students already rely on the Emergency Connectivity Fund for internet access.

American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund is closing the homework gap for 5,000 South Dakota students.

In Federal Boost for Tennessee Broadband Accessibility we see that 50,000 Tennessee homes and businesses will receive affordable, high-speed internet through the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is connecting 64,000 Tennessee students.

Bringing Online Opportunities to Texans With Broadband—And Federal Funding looks at the state's plan to connect 152,000 Texas homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet. 805,000 Texas students are connected because of the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund.

Utah's efforts to close the digital divide are explored in The Capital Projects Fund Helps Utah Bridge Broadband Access Gap—including the plans to connect 3,000 Utah homes and businesses to affordable, broadband. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is helping 23,000 Utah students with internet connections.

The Capital Projects Fund is supporting deployment of broadband infrastructure to 14,000 Vermont homes and businesses; see Vermont's Community-Based Broadband Solutions Get a Boost from American Rescue Plan. The Emergency Connectivity Fund is helping 4,000 Vermont students with about 15,000 connected devices (including hotspots).

60,000 Washington students are connected because of the American Rescue Plan.

Capital Projects Fund Aids West Virginia's Billion Dollar Broadband Strategy including 20,000 West Virginia homes and businesses connecting to broadband. The homework gap in the state is shrinking because the Emergency Connectivity Fund supports 24,000 connected devices for 93,000 students.

Wisconsin plans to connect 8,000 homes and businesses; see Wisconsin Broadband Infrastructure Projects Get a Boost from American Rescue Plan. 48,000 students in the Badger State are using about 278,000 devices to stay connected.

Broadband is Part of Wyoming's Strategy to Survive, Drive, and ThriveWyoming is using Capital Project Fund support to connect 12,000 homes and businesses. The American Rescue Plan is helping 2,000 students with devices and connections.

88,000 Washington (DC) students are using 54,000 connected devices supported by the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is helping 387,000 Puerto Rico students stay connected with about 39,000 devices.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.


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Kevin Taglang

Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-328-3040
headlines AT benton DOT org

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