Coronavirus and Connectivity

Introducing the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

In its efforts to help people deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress created the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program in late 2020. The Federal Communications Commission will run the program, starting it in Spring 2021. The program offers discounts off of people's monthly internet access bills to help connect households that find it hard to afford broadband service. Households can also get discounts on a laptop, desktop, or tablet computer. Broadband providers will receive up to $50/month for providing service to low-income households ($75/month if the household is on Tribal Land).

The Last Broadband Gifts From the 116th Congress

With great drama, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 became law on December 27, 2021. The $2.3 trillion COVID relief and government spending bill extended unemployment benefits and ensured the government can keep running. The $900 billion COVID relief provision includes over $7 billion to help improve connectivity in the U.S.

ISPs Say They Kept Virus Pledge, But Customers Disagree

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission pushed internet service providers to promise they wouldn't penalize customers who struggled to pay their internet bills when they needed connectivity the most. More than 800 companies signed onto the Keep Americans Connected pledge, a commitment to not disconnect customers who were behind on their bills or charge late-payment fees that drew effusive praise from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

Broadband for America Now

In October 2019, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society issued Broadband for America’s Future: A Vision for the 2020s. The agenda was comprehensive, constructed upon achievements in communities and insights from experts across the nation. The report outlined the key building blocks of broadband policy—deployment, competition, community anchor institutions, and digital equity (including affordability and adoption).

Applications Open for Oregon's $157 Million Broadband Deployment Program

The Oregon Broadband Office is accepting applications for grant awards for the Broadband Deployment Program (BDP).

Colorado Broadband Office Announces Capital Projects Funding

The Colorado Broadband Office announced additional grants using stimulus funding from the US Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF) program. As a result of the Advance-CPF Challenge Process, some of the previously awarded projects were reduced in size, leading to additional availability of funding. Subsequently, five new projects were awarded. The five new projects are:

The Municipal Broadband Solution

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has proven to be a digital lifeline for its 23 million beneficiaries. However, although lawmakers have known for over a year that the fund would be bankrupt by this spring, GOP congressional leaders have not budged on even bipartisan attempts to save the ACP, prompting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to announce in January the wind down the popular program. It’s a major setback for the “Internet for All” effort,

Governor Evers, PSC Announce Over 410,000 Wisconsin Homes and Businesses to See New or Improved High-Speed Internet Due to Evers Administration Efforts Since 2019

Governor Tony Evers (D-WI), together with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC), announced the award of $43.2 million in grants funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to expand access to broadband across the state. The 30 projects awarded funding will expand high-speed internet access to approximately 16,000 residential and business locations in the state.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Funding to Expand High Speed Internet in New Mexico Tribal Communities as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda

The Biden-Harris Administration announced the approval of $10 million for multi-purpose facilities in Tribal communities under the US Department of the Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF), part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

Consolidated Slated for Broadband Buildout in NH Community with Funding From Novel State Program

Consolidated Communications’ latest public-private broadband partnership news is a bit different from some of the other public-private partnerships we’ve seen since federal legislators began making funding available for broadband buildouts during the COVID pandemic. The deal, pending completion of a challenge process, involves the town of Francestown, New Hampshire and funding from the state’s Broadband Matching Grant Initiative (BMGI). That program provides matching funds for projects that otherwise would be too costly for the network operator to undertake.

$22 Million Retrofit Program to Expand High-Speed Internet Access in Affordable Housing Statewide

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at MassTech announced the launch of the Residential Internet Retrofit Program, a $22 million statewide initiative to equip public and affordable housing units across the state with high-speed internet for current and future residents.

Signing on: Westmoreland's 'high priority areas' soon to get online

Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring to bring internet service to four high priority areas of Westmoreland County (PA). Westmoreland County commissioners have partnered with Verizon to bring broadband service to 400 locations in parts of Derry, Fairfield and Ligonier townships that currently have no service.

Brick by Brick: HBCUs Are Using the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program to Fortify the Communities They Serve

A look at how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are using Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program funding to impact the students, faculty, staff, and residents in the communities that they serve. According to a 2021 report by McKinsey & Company, 82% of HBCUs are located in broadband deserts. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s funding for minority communities intends to elevate community partners and work toward closing deep-rooted digital divides.

Governor Walz Announces $53 Million to Expand Broadband to 8,900 Minnesota Homes and Businesses

Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) announced over $50 million in grants to expand broadband access to an estimated 8,900 homes and businesses throughout Minnesota. Twenty four broadband expansion projects will receive grants from the Department of Employment and Economic Development's (DEED) Office of Broadband Development, helping deploy new broadband infrastructure around Minnesota.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Tens of Millions of Dollars to Help Close the Digital Divide in Pennsylvania as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda

The Biden-Harris Administration announced the approval of $20 million for digital connectivity projects in Pennsylvania under the US Department of the Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF). The award will fund Pennsylvania’s Digital Access Opportunity Grant program, through which the commonwealth will partner with community anchor institutions (CAIs) to increase access to laptops, tablets, desktop computers, and Wi-Fi devices to individuals in Pennsylvan

Governor Ivey Announces Nearly $150 Million for Broadband Expansion, Impacting 48 Alabama Counties

Governor Kay Ivey (R-AL) announced the awarding of nearly $150 million to continue the expansion of high-speed internet service to unserved areas across Alabama.

New US Department of the Treasury Analysis Shows President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is Driving Investment to Underserved Communities in Georgia

The Department of the Treasury released new analysis on the benefits of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda for Georgia.

FOCUS Broadband Completes Work on NCDIT GREAT Grant Project in Bladen County (NC)

FOCUS Broadband completed its Faster Bladen broadband project, making high-speed internet service available for over 700 residents and businesses living near Tar Heel and along portions of North Carolina Highway 701 between Clarkton and Elizabethtown. This project was made possible using $2.9 million in funds awarded to FOCUS Broadband in 2022 from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant program.

Reps Markey, Van Hollen, and Meng Lead Colleagues in Letter of Support for FCC E-Rate Rulemaking

Sens Edward Markey (D-MA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep Grace Meng (D-NY), led 64 of their colleagues in a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel supporting the Commission’s proposal to expand the E-Rate program to allow schools and libraries to loan out Wi-Fi hotspots to students and educators.

California Aims $2 Billion at Students Hurt by Remote Learning to Settle Lawsuit

In the fall of 2020, around the height of the debate over pandemic school closures, a lawsuit in California made a serious claim: The state had failed its constitutional obligation to provide an equal education to lower-income, Black and Hispanic students, who had less access to online learning. State officials distributed more than 45,000 laptops and more than 73,000 other computing devices to students, according to court documents in the case.

Treasury Department Announces Approval of Federal Funds to Connect Tens of Thousands of Homes and Businesses in New York to Affordable, High-Speed Internet

The US Department of the Treasury announced the approval of more than $228 million for high-speed internet projects in New York under the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF), which the state estimates will connect tens of thousands of homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet.

Making a Down Payment on Affordable, Reliable, High-Speed Internet for All

The fiber broadband industry is experiencing a historic moment.

Massachusetts broadband chief: Infrastructure and equity go hand in hand

Massachusetts’ is looking at the bigger picture, not just network rollouts. Although Massachusetts already has around 99 percent broadband coverage (based on statistics from the Federal Communications Commission’s national broadband map), there’s still an adoption gap. So, Massachusetts is trying to look at broadband “holistically,” infrastructure as well as “all the other elements that are needed” to make sure people “can really take advantage of the access to the service.” In November 2023, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute launched the Gap Networks Grant Program, a new $145 million g