Thursday, June 9, 2022

Administration Chooses First Four States to Tap $10B Broadband Fund

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
The Treasury Department has started approving broadband grants to states from a $10 billion fund approved under the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF). A key priority of the program is to make funding available for reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure and other digital connectivity technology projects.

The Treasury Department said Tuesday that Louisiana, New Hampshire, Virginia, and West Virginia are the first states to be approved to receive funds under the American Rescue Plan and will connect over 200,000 homes and businesses. The state plans approved in this first group are designed to meet or exceed symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 Mbps. 

The Treasury Department said it designed its guidance “to prioritize connecting families and businesses with poor and inadequate service – particularly those in rural and remote areas.” States must also explain why communities they have identified to be served with funds from the CPF critically need those projects. Continue Reading

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