President Joe Biden aims to bridge the digital divide in the United States with a historic $42 billion investment.
The funds will be distributed among the 50 states, with the goal of providing high-speed broadband access to all Americans by 2030.
This initiative is likened to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's efforts to bring electricity to rural areas in 1936.
President Biden to Unveil Plans for $42 Billion Investment in Broadband Access, Ensuring High-Speed Internet for All Americans by 2030.
President Joe Biden discusses broadband expansion in the United States; Image: The Guardian
In a landmark announcement, U.S. President Joe Biden is set to unveil plans on how a $42 billion investment will be allocated among the 50 states to ensure all Americans have access to high-speed broadband by 2030.
This initiative marks the beginning of the second leg of Biden's nationwide tour, where he aims to showcase the impact of legislation supported during the first half of his term on the lives of average Americans, as his re-election campaign takes shape.
"We have an historic opportunity here to make a real difference in people's lives and making sure that we deliver on that potential is what we're about every day and to make sure that people feel that at their kitchen table, in their communities, in their backyards," said White House chief of staff Jeff Zients.
The expansion of broadband access is being compared to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's efforts in 1936 to bring electricity to rural areas. The administration estimates that approximately 8.5 million locations in the U.S. lack broadband connections.
Major broadband companies such as Verizon, Comcast, Charter Communications, and AT&T have been hesitant to provide access to low-population, rural communities due to the high cost of investments and the limited number of potential subscribers in those regions. However, the lack of broadband access gained attention during the COVID-19 shutdowns, which forced students into online schooling.
The Biden administration will announce the amount of funding each state will receive under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, based on a newly released coverage map by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that identifies areas lacking access.
States are expected to submit initial plans later this year, which will unlock 20% of the funding. The remaining funds will be released once the plans are finalized, a process that may extend until 2025.
In addition to this announcement, President Biden is scheduled to deliver a major economic speech in Chicago on Wednesday, outlining his vision of "Bidenomics." Senior advisors Anita Dunn and Mike Donilon described the speech as focusing on building the economy by prioritizing the middle class rather than the wealthy. They highlighted that the economy has added over 13 million jobs since Biden took office, including nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs.
This recent move by the Biden administration underscores its commitment to expanding broadband access and bridging the digital divide in the United States. It remains to be seen how each state will shape their plans to utilize the funding, but one thing is certain: this investment will have a significant impact on the daily lives of Americans and lay a solid foundation for the country's digital future.
