The program—passed as part of the November 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into effect by the Biden-Harris Administration—sets aside $42.5 billion in federal funds for expanding broadband infrastructure. The funds will be parceled out to all 50 U.S. states, plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
In June 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced how it would split the funding per state. Reviews.org has taken a closer look into how the funds are distributed and the reasons behind the larger allocations. While the most populated states receive the highest allocations, over 60% of the funds go toward states with greater rural populations, due to the greater demand for reliable internet infrastructure. Read on for more details on how the funds are being allocated.
Key findings:
- Over 60% of the total broadband funding goes towards states with large rural populations.
- The states with the most funding per resident include Alaska, West Virginia, Wyoming, Montana, and Mississippi, with an average of $730 per resident.
- The states with the lowest funding per resident include Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Maryland, with an average of $33 per resident.
- Texas is allocated the highest funding overall, with over $3 billion in total BEAD funding.
Minnesota is on the “low” scale of BEAD funding with $114.23 in funding per resident. In fairness, only 4 states were on the high scale and 12 were medium.