WASHINGTON The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Monday announced that Texas will receive $3,312,616,455.45 to deploy affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service. Right now, 779,378 homes and small businesses in Texas lack access to a high-speed internet connection.
As part of the “Internet for All” initiative, a key component of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda, the President, Vice President, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced how much funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories will receive.
“Today’s historic $3.3 billion investment in Texas’ broadband infrastructure is a major step in President Biden’s promise to bridge the digital divide, especially for rural communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in a press release. “Soon, millions of Texans who lack a reliable, affordable high-speed Internet connection will be able to get online to access healthcare, education, or employment, and we are working with Governor Abbott and Comptroller Hegar to make it happen.”
States, D.C., and territories (“Eligible Entities”) will use funding from the BEAD program from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to administer grant programs within their borders.
The BEAD funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service. Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used on broadband adoption, training, and workforce development efforts, among other eligible uses.
Details related to the allocation for the states, D.C., and territories are available on InternetForAll.Gov.
Eligible Entities will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Eligible Entities have 180 days from the date of that formal notice to submit their Initial Proposals for how they will run their grant programs. Eligible Entities can begin submitting their Initial Proposals starting July 1, 2023. Once NTIA approves an Initial Proposal, which will occur on a rolling basis, Eligible Entities will be able to access at least 20 percent of their allocated funds.
