US spending over $42 billion to make internet access universal by 2030
Each US state received a minimum of $107 million
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The U.S. is spending more than $42 billion with the aim of making reliable and affordable high-speed internet universal by 2030.
In what the White House said was the largest internet funding announcement in history, the Department of Commerce announced funding for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
"It's the biggest investment in high-speed internet ever. Because for today's economy to work for everyone, internet access is just as important as electricity, or water, or other basic services," Biden said in a White House address on Monday.
The money — a $42.45 billion grant program created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — funds high-speed internet infrastructure deployment through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program.
Awards range from $27 million to more than $3.3 billion, with every state receiving a minimum of $107 million.
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President Joe Biden attends The Broadband Event at the White House in Washington D.C., United States on June 26, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The top 10 allocations were in Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
Nearly 20 states received allocations of over $1 billion.
The funding also goes toward supporting manufacturing jobs and investment by using materials that are made in the U.S.
U.S. President Joe Biden announces a $42.45 billion national grant program for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment called the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2023. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Reuters Photos)
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"For example, anticipating this major investment in high-speed internet infrastructure deployment, earlier this year, fiber optic cable manufacturers CommScope and Corning announced $47 million and $500 million expansions of their domestic manufacturing capacity, which will create hundreds of good-paying American jobs in North Carolina," the White House wrote in a fact sheet published Monday.
Notably, the president's American Rescue plan also included more than $25 billion for high-speed internet.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo speaks during the The Broadband Event at the White House in Washington D.C., United States on June 26, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"What this announcement means for people across the country is that if you don’t have access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet service now — you will, thanks to President Biden and his commitment to investing in America," Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement. "Whether it’s connecting people to the digital economy, manufacturing fiber-optic cable in America, or creating good paying jobs building Internet infrastructure in the states, the investments we’re announcing will increase our competitiveness and spur economic growth across the country for years to come."
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Eligible Entities will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023, and have 180 days from the date of that formal notice to submit their initial proposals describing how they propose to run their grant programs.
Reuters contributed to this report.