Jared Strong, Georgia Recorder The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding grants and loans that total about $759 million to 49 high-speed internet projects in 24 states and in other territories, the department announced Thursday. The largest total award is a $36 million loan to Public Service Telephone Company for …
Read More »10 Million Households Have Signed Up For Broadband Affordability Program
Vice President Kamala Harris said Monday that 10 million households have signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides low-income Americans with a subsidy to help pay for broadband service. The subsidy was made possible through the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill Congress passed last year. In remarks at …
Read More »Senators Introduce $40 Billion Legislation To Expand Broadband Access
Three Senators introduced bipartisan legislation on Tuesday that would spend $40 billion to make broadband internet more affordable and accessible. The Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy Act is one of the largest proposals aimed at addressing the digital divide. The bill would require that broadband providers …
Read More »White House Makes $1.7 Trillion Infrastructure Counteroffer To GOP
White House Secretary Jen Psaki announced on Friday that a counteroffer for President Biden’s infrastructure and jobs package was presented to Republican lawmakers by White House officials. The revised proposal reduces the cost from $2.25 trillion to $1.7 trillion. “In our view, this is the act– the art, I should …
Read More »FCC Approves $7 Billion Emergency Connectivity Fund
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unanimously adopted final rules to implement the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program. This $7.17 billion program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, will enable schools and libraries to purchase laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and broadband connectivity for students, school staff, …
Read More »Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Includes $100 Billion To Close Digital Divide
President Joe Biden has proposed investing $100 billion in an effort to make high-speed internet available throughout the country and affordable for every American. Likening the investment to the 1936 Rural Electrification Act, which brought power to farms and country towns throughout the heartland as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s …
Read More »Internet Subsidies For Low-Income Households Approved By FCC
The Federal Communications Commission approved a new broadband subsidy program to help low-income households pay for internet service during the pandemic. The $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit Program gives up to $50 per month in credit for internet bills to struggling families. The program also provides families with $100 credit …
Read More »$7 Billion Broadband Stimulus Plan Will Provide Millions Of Americans With Internet
The coronavirus aid package that Congress pass this week provides $7 billion to help Americans connect to the internet and pay their bills. The benefits will ensure that unemployed families stay connected as the pandemic has forced many to work, learn, and communicate from home. Consumer advocates, Telecom companies, and …
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