NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Monday, June 26 the Biden Administration announced a partnership with the Department of Commerce on the creation of the Broadband Equity Access and Development program.
BEAD is a $42.45 billion dollar grant program designed to help almost 8.5 million households and small businesses across the US that are currently without access to high-speed internet. $813 million dollars will be available for Tennessee.
In a release from the Department of Commerce, several initiatives were announced to accomplish this goal,
- Awards ranging from $27 million to over $3.3 Billion with every state receiving a minimum of $107 million
- 19 states will receive allocations over $1 billion, including the top 10 allocations in Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington
- All 50 states, DC, and the territories will have resources to connect every resident and small business to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet by 2030
Alongside the widespread access to high-speed internet, the funding will support manufacturing jobs through companies that make fiber optic cable, allowing for the creation of hundreds of jobs.
For more information on the BEAD program visit the Internet for All website.
