Despite more than three decades of public and private efforts to expand the availability of broadband service, millions of Americans still lack access to reliable high-speed internet connections and millions more cannot afford connections when they are available.
The initiative seeks to solve these problems by:
- Advocating for state and federal policy change.
- Addressing key gaps in the research to help inform policy efforts around the country.
- Partnering with state governments to implement evidence-based solutions for broadband expansion.
- Educating and mobilizing stakeholders from fields such as health care, education, and workforce development to be champions for universal, affordable broadband access.
Increasing broadband deployment has been a critical component of the United States’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a central aspect of the recent wave of funding aimed at modernizing the country’s infrastructure.
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, established through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, represents a singular commitment by the United States to significantly narrow the digital divide.
As states begin rolling out the federal program to expand high-speed broadband access, national policymakers need to keep the momentum going after three years of state-led outreach and planning with internet service providers (ISPs) and communities.
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is a $42.5 billion federal effort to expand affordable, high-speed internet access throughout the United States by funding the planning and building of broadband infrastructure projects, as well as programs that help people get online.
After years of waiting, states and territories will soon begin breaking ground on projects intended to expand access to high-speed internet nationwide under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
