High-speed Internet access is in the future for more Utahns, thanks to more than $315 million allocated by federal officials under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Image courtesy of Unsplash.com).
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Utah is in line to receive more than $315 million in federal funds to facilitate the extension of high-speed internet service to state residents.
That news came from Washington on June 26 as part of the Biden Administration’s allocation of more than $42.45 billion for its long-awaited Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to all 50 states.
The announcement was made jointly by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kalama Harris and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo at the White House.
“It’s the biggest investment in high-speed internet ever,” according to Biden. “For today’s economy to work for everyone, access is just as important as electricity or water or other basic services.”
Commerce Department officials say that the funding from the BEAD program will be used to deploy or up-grade broadband networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service.
“What this announcement means for people across the country,” Raimondo explained, “is that, if you don’t have access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet service now, you soon will, thanks to President Biden.”
The federal funding is part of the more than $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in November of 2021.
That legislation will put $550 billion into transportation projects; $110 billion into road and bridges; $66 billion into freight and passenger rail service; $55 billion into water service upgrades; and $65 billion into expanding broadband service.
Ironically, a state-by-state breakdown of the allocation reveals the Internet funding will benefit heavily-Republican states more than the ones controlled by Democrats.
The federal funding will give 19 states at least $1 billion, with Alaska, West Virginia, Wyoming and Montana leading the list in per capita aid.
In terms of dollars and cents, Texas is slated to receive the most money, $3.3 billion, followed by California at $1.9 billion and Missouri at $1.7 billion in funds that target rural or remote areas.
Other states – including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington – will also receive more than $1 billion each.
“I promised to be a president for all Americans,” Biden said, “whether or not they voted for me or whether or not they voted for these laws.
“These investments will help all Americans. We’re not going leave anyone behind.”
On a red state/blue state breakdown, states controlled by Republicans will receive about 56 percent of the federal funding, compared to 42 percent going to states with Democratic governors.
With a population of about 3.4 million and a federal allocation of $317,399,741, Utah is slated to receive less than $100 per capita.
By comparison, Alaska with an estimated 734,000 people and a federal allocation of about $1 billion, is expected to receive roughly $1,387 per capita.
Administration officials say that states are receiving their official notification of funding today.
They will have 180s days under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to submit proposals to the federal government detailing their plans of how they will run their grant programs, starting on July 1.
The administration plans to deliver most of the federal funding over the next two years, according to White House chief of staff Jeff Zients.