INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The White House on Monday divvied up $42 billion among the nation&s 50 states and U.S
territories to make access to high-speed broadband universal by 2030, as it launched a new publicity campaign for President Joe Biden&s
economic policies, Reuters reported.The funding under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program was authorized by the $1 trillion
2021 infrastructure law Biden championed
The spending will be based on a newly released Federal Communications Commission coverage map that details gaps in access.Texas and
California & the two most populous U.S
states & top the funding list at $3.1 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively
But other, less populous states like Virginia, Alabama and Louisiana cracked the top 10 list for funding due to lack of broadband access
These states have large rural areas with less internet connectivity than their major cities.&It&s the biggest investment in high-speed
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.According to Reuters the awards range from $27 million to U.S
Virgin Islands to over $3.3 billion for Texas, with every state receiving a minimum of $107 million.The announcement kicks off the second
leg of Biden&s tour highlighting how legislation passed when his Democratic Party controlled Congress will affect average Americans, as his
2024 re-election bid gears up.As part of the sales pitch, Biden is also set to give what White House officials describe as a major economic
speech on Wednesday in Chicago, laying out so-called &Bidenomics,& according to a memo on Monday from senior advisers Anita Dunn and Mike
Donilon to congressional Democrats and other allies.The 2024 election will in part be seen as a referendum on Biden&s handing of the economy
Job creation and low unemployment are the positives while elevated inflation and the knock-on effect of higher interest rates have stoked
fears of a recession, read the report.More than half & 54% & of Americans disapprove of how Biden is handing his job, while just 35% of
respondents approved of his stewardship of the economy, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month
Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections.The administration estimates there are some 8.5 million
that lack access to broadband connections, Reuters reported.Broadband companies such as Verizon (VZ.N), Comcast (CMCSA.O), Charter
Communications (CHTR.O) and AT-T (T.N) have been reluctant to provide access to low-population, rural communities because the investments
are expensive and the regions do not offer a lot of subscribers
The lack of broadband access drew attention during COVID-19 shutdowns that forced students into online schooling.States are expected to
submit initial plans later this year that will unlock 20% of the funding
Once the plans are finalized, which could take to 2025, the government will release the remaining money.The post US to spend $42 billion to
make internet access universal by 2030 first appeared on Ariana News.
