Broadband takes a $35 billion hit as lawmakers hash out infrastructure deal

Source: 
Coverage Type: 

President Joe Biden backed a new $1.2 trillion infrastructure package which would shave $35 billion off the funding total originally proposed for broadband improvements, insisting the lower amount was still enough to connect every citizen to high-speed internet. The bipartisan plan negotiated by Senate leaders includes $65 billion for broadband infrastructure, a steep drop from the $100 billion Biden pitched in March 2021. Little detail was available about how the broadband funds would be spent; analysts at New Street Research speculated some $40 billion could be devoted to grants for states to fund deployment of broadband networks, with another $14 billion potentially allocated to the US Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program targeting rural areas. They added an additional $5 billion could go toward refreshing the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline broadband subsidy program. Biden called on lawmakers to pass the infrastructure deal, but it is unclear whether the proposal will make it through a divided Congress. 


Broadband takes a $35B hit as U.S. politicians hash out infrastructure deal