The Biden-era Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program championed a “fiber first” strategy.
The federal government wants to bring fiber connections to every home. In the meantime, some areas will still rely on the library.
“As officials have looked to put their money towards closing the digital divide, internet providers like AT&T and Verizon have been very aggressive in lobbying back,” said The Washington Post’s Tony Romm.
A federal program that helped pay for more than 23 million low-income households’ internet access runs out of money soon.
The federal funding aims to ensure internet access is as widely accessible as electricity.
In Oklahoma’s Osage Nation, the construction of a 200-mile fiber network is underway, but hurdles abound.
Identifying where high-speed internet is available has been tricky. But the map may give officials a better idea of who’s left out.
More funding for internet access has been made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, but coordination and permitting are still hurdles.
