The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has announced how it intends to allocate $42.45 billion in funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories to deploy affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service to everyone in America.
This “Internet for All” initiative included in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allocate $1,559,362,479 to the state of Michigan to administer grant programs expanding high-speed internet access.
According to Raimondo, the investment will increase competitiveness and spur economic growth across the country for years to come by connecting people to the digital economy, manufacturing fiber-optic cable in America, and create good-paying jobs building internet infrastructure.
The BEAD funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks to ensure rural Michigan has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service, according to Michigan Farm Bureau Government Relations Specialist Matt Kapp.
“High-speed internet access isn't a luxury for farmers — it’s a necessity in today’s technology-dependent, data-driven production agriculture,” Kapp said. “It will also allow rural Michigan to fully engage in ecommerce and the digital economy while enhancing public safety.”
States, D.C., and territories (“Eligible Entities”) will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023, according to Kapp.
Eligible Entities can begin submitting their Initial Proposals starting July 1, 2023. Once NTIA approves an Initial Proposal, which will occur on a rolling basis, Eligible Entities will be permitted to request access to at least 20% of their allocated funds.
Details related to the allocation are available on InternetForAll.Gov.
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Matt Kapp
