In order to ensure that everyone has access to high-speed broadband by 2030, the White House on Monday distributed $42 billion to the 50 states and U.S. territories as part of a new marketing campaign for President Joe Biden’s economic initiatives.

The $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure package that Biden supported authorised the funds for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Programme. The spending will be determined by the recently revealed coverage map of the Federal Communications Commission, which shows where there are access gaps.

The two most populated states in the country, Texas and California, are at the top of the financing list with $3.1 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively. However, due to a lack of broadband connection, other, less populous states including Louisiana, Alabama, and Virginia made the top 10 list for funding.

Large rural areas in these states have less access to the internet than their major cities.

“It’s the biggest investment in high-speed internet ever. Because for today’s economy to work for everyone, internet access is just as important as electricity, or water, or other basic services,” Biden said in a White House address on Monday.

Every state receives at least $107 million, with awards ranging from $27 million to over $3.3 billion for Texas and to U.S. territories like the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As his 2024 reelection campaign gets underway, Biden’s statement marks the beginning of the second part of his trip showing how laws established while his Democratic Party controlled Congress will affect everyday Americans.

Biden is also scheduled to deliver what White House officials describe as a significant economic address on Wednesday in Chicago, outlining so-called “Bidenomics,” according to a document sent on Monday to congressional Democrats and other friends by senior advisors Anita Dunn and Mike Donilon.

Part of the 2024 election will be viewed as a vote on how Biden handled the economy. Positives include the creation of jobs and low unemployment, while negatives include rising inflation and the ripple effects of increasing interest rates, which have increased concerns about a recession.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll done earlier this month, 35% of respondents approved of how Biden is managing the economy, while 54% of Americans disapprove of the way he is doing his job. In the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats lost their majority in the House of Representatives.

According to the administration, there are 8.5 million places in the US without access to internet connections.

Because the investments are costly and the areas do not provide many users, broadband providers like Verizon, Comcast, Charter Communications, and AT&T have been hesitant to extend service to low-population, rural villages. When the COVID-19 system was stopped down and students were forced to attend school online, the lack of broadband connection attracted notice.

Later this year, the states are anticipated to submit preliminary plans, which will release 20% of the funding. The government will distribute the remaining funds once the plans are completed, which may not happen until 2025.

(Adapted from Medium.com)

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