WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) – The White House on Monday allocated $42 billion to the country’s 50 states and US territories to provide high-speed broadband access by 2030 as it launched a new publicity campaign for the country’s economic policies. President Joe Biden. .
Funding under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program was approved by the $1 trillion infrastructure bill of 2021 that Biden advocated. The expenses will be based on a newly released Federal Communications Commission coverage map describing gaps in access.
Texas and California – the two most populous states in the US – top the funding list with $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 a lack of broadband access. These states have large rural areas with less internet connectivity than their major cities.
“It’s the largest investment in high-speed internet ever. Because to make today’s economy work for everyone, internet access is just as important as electricity, water or other basic services,” Biden said in a speech at the White House on Monday.
Prizes range from $27 million for US territories such as the US Virgin Islands to more than $3.3 billion for Texas, with each state receiving a minimum of $107 million.
The announcement heralds the second leg of Biden’s tour and highlights how legislation passed when his Democratic Party-controlled Congress will affect the average American as his 2024 reelection bid accelerates.
As part of the sales pitch, Biden also plans to deliver what White House officials describe as a major economic speech in Chicago on Wednesday, outlining so-called “Bidenomics,” according to a memo Monday from senior advisers Anita Dunn and Mike Donilon to Congressional Democrats and other allies.
The 2024 election will be viewed in part as a referendum on Biden’s handover of the economy. Job creation and low unemployment are the positives, while high inflation and the knock-on effect of higher interest rates have fueled recession fears.
More than half – 54% – of Americans disapprove of the way Biden is handing over his job, while only 35% of respondents approve of his stewardship of the economy, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month . In the 2022 midterm elections, the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives.
The government estimates that there are about 8.5 million locations in the US that do not have access to broadband connections.
Broadband companies such as Verizon (VZ.N), Comcast (CMCSA.O), Charter Communications (CHTR.O), and AT&T (TN) have been reluctant to provide access to low-density rural communities because the investments are expensive and the regions do not offer many subscribers. The lack of broadband access drew attention during COVID-19 shutdowns that forced students into online education.
States are expected to submit initial plans later this year that release 20% of the funding. Once the plans are finalized, which could take until 2025, the government will release the remaining funds.
Reporting by Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Edited by Scott Malone, Chris Reese and Lisa Shumaker