Awareness of the digital divide has reduced the gap between technology and classrooms, however, at the end of 2022, 24 million people still lacked access to high-speed internet. Federal, state, and local governments begun allotting over $100 billion to bring high-speed internet access to every American household through government funding such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, every state will receive at least $100 million to start. In the summer of 2023, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will also begin distributing hundreds of millions of funding to states as part of the $42 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, coupled with the $14 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and $2.75 billion for digital equity.
Although this increase in funding has assisted states in developing a broadband team, many still don’t have a dedicated team or are understaffed. Here are some elements they need to consider when developing their program.
Set up a well-staffed broadband program office.
An effective broadband program office will manage stakeholders run the grant process and ensure implementation. Sates should decide if a new office is needed or to expand the existing team. The team should have an array of specialists on digital equity, mapping, broadband infrastructure, and other grant and financial management.
Set a baseline for current state of broadband and federal programming.
Once the broadband office is established, it is time to analyze any programs already underway and conduct a baseline assessment of current state connectivity. States should leverage coverage maps and take note of unserved locations to identify the community needs and set up a baseline for the state.
Outline strategic goals and integrated plan for using federal funding.
Once board leaders have a clear understanding of the state’s condition, it is time to start developing goals. This may include how they plan to prioritize deployment, equity, and affordability and how they will translate those objectives into specific plans for each federal program. Once goals are established, the board can construct a timeline for harnessing federal programs to achieve them.
Does your state have a broadband office established?
Sources:
https://www.govtech.com/opinion/closing-the-digital-divide-requires-more-than-a-quick-fix
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