The Biden administration disclosed $930 million in grants intended to increase rural residents’ access to high-speed internet.
The awards, which are a component of the Department of Commerce’s Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, will pay for the installation of new fiber optic cable spanning more than 12,000 miles across 35 states and Puerto Rico.
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Biden Administration Allocates for Broadband Expansion
The government announced on Friday that it anticipates award recipients to contribute an additional $848.46 million, a pledge that should increase the program’s effectiveness by twofold.
The Middle Mile Grant Program received over 260 applications, totaling $7.47 billion in grant requests, according to the Commerce Department.
The organization mostly gave subsidies to telecom and utility firms, but it also set aside money for nonprofits and tribal governments. According to Gizmodo, the largest grant, worth $88.8 million, was given to an Alaskan telecommunications company that plans to establish a fiber optic network in a region of the state where 55% of people lack internet access.
The majority of applicants received awards from the Commerce Department averaging $26.6 million.
The administration believes that many of the buildouts will be finished sooner than the current deadline of five years for grant recipients to complete work on their projects.
The government claims that the projects should also increase safety in traditionally neglected communities while also opening up new economic prospects.
Bolstering Economic Opportunities and Safety
According to White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu, “hey can increase network resilience in the face of the climate crisis and rising natural disasters like wildfires, floods, and storms by making a detour on the freeway-style several paths for internet traffic to use instead of just one.
The financing is merely one of many recent initiatives by the government to bridge the digital divide in rural areas.
The Federal Communications Commission introduced an accountability program at the beginning of the year to make sure Rural Digital Opportunity Fund grantees utilize the public funds they receive responsibly.
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