KENTUCKY — The U.S. Treasury Department announced the approval of broadband projects in four additional states — Alabama, Kentucky, Nevada and Texas — with funding from the American bailout. The funds will connect approximately 292,000 homes and businesses to affordable high-speed Internet. The goal of the project is to provide affordable, reliable broadband infrastructure to provide high-speed Internet access to all Americans.
Kentucky has been approved to receive $182.8 million for broadband infrastructure that the state estimates will connect more than 40,000 homes and businesses to high-speed Internet access. The funding will go to the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund, a major program designed to bring broadband to areas that currently lack Internet service and then to areas that lack 25/3 Mbps Internet access.
The purpose of the program is to provide funding to reach the hardest to serve rural areas of the Commonwealth. The goal is to provide Internet service at a speed of 100/100 Mbps.
Texas has been approved to receive $363.8 million for broadband infrastructure, Alabama will receive $191.9 million and Nevada has been approved for $55.2 million.
“The pandemic upended life as we know it and exposed stark inequities in access to affordable and reliable high-speed Internet in communities across the country, including rural, tribal and other underrepresented communities,” said Treasury Undersecretary Wally Adejemo.. “This funding is a key element of the historic investment by the Biden-Harris administration to increase access to high-speed Internet for millions of Americans and provide more opportunities to fully participate and compete in the 21st century economy.”
Under the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program, low-income families can receive a $30 per month Internet subsidy. To further reduce costs, the Biden administration says it has secured commitments from 20 leading Internet service providers to offer all eligible households in ACP countries high-speed Internet plans for no more than $30 a month.
This means that eligible households can get internet access for free. To check your availability and sign up, go to GetInternet.gov.
The State Treasury started announcing state awards last June. To date, 30 states have received approval to invest approximately $4.5 billion in Internet infrastructure funding.
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