FILE- A router and internet switch are displayed in East Derry, N.H., June 19, 2018. President Joe Biden is expected to announce his administration's plans Monday, June 26, 2023, to distribute billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to bring the internet to every household and small business in the U.S.
“We all know how difficult life is when electricity goes down after a storm or for other reasons,” Zients said on a Friday call with reporters to preview the announcement. “For millions of Americans in rural communities in particular, the internet is down a lot. Sometimes there’s not even any access.”
More than 7% of the country falls under the underserved category, according to maps recently completed byCongress approved the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, or BEAD, along with several other internet expansion initiatives, throughannounced winners of middle mile grants States will have until the end of the year to submit initial proposals outlining how they plan to use the money, which won't begin to be distributed until those plans are approved. Oncesigns off on those plans, states can begin awarding grants to telecommunications companies, electric cooperatives and other broadband providers to build infrastructure that links homes and small businesses to the internet.