amna: President Biden is kicking
off efforts to expand high-speed
internet access to the 8 and a
half million homes and
businesses without it.
Expanding affordable broadband
access was a key component of
his 2021 infrastructure bill.
At the white house today, the
president pledged a $42 billion
investment to get Americans up
to speed by 2030.
Pres. Biden: 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 was or water or
other basic services.
High speed internet isn't a
luxury anymore, it's become an
absolute necessity.
Amna: Laura baron Lopez has more
on what this all means.
Good to see you.
This is ambitious to say the
least, the president equated it
to electrifying the entire
country in the 1930's.
Who will this expanded broadband
reach?
Laura: Today marks the official
allocation of this money that
comes from the bipartisan
infrastructure law and the funds
will go all across the country.
They are going to go to every
state, district of Columbia, all
the territories, but 19 states
in particular will receive more
than $1 billion to increase
broadband.
Within those 19 states, I want
to highlight a few -- Missouri
gets more than $1.7 billion,
California or than $1.8 billion,
and Texas the most at about 3.3
billion dollars, based on local
needs.
Amna: The president says the
goal is that every house has
access by 2030.
Will they reach that goal?
Laura: Give or take,
potentially.
The white house provided
reporters with a rough timeline.
A lot of things can get in the
way of a timeline for starting
now in June of 2023, this month
allocations are announced,
states begin drafting plans for
projects.
December of 2023, the first
state plans are due, and when he
percent of the funds will start
being distributed.
Around spring of 2024, work will
begin on some of the projects if
they've received approval.
Spring of 2025, final plans are
due for states that haven't had
plans approved yet and the
remaining funds will be sent
out.
As you can see, some of these
projects will not get going and
certainly not finished before
the 2024 election.
Amna: You talk about the
millions of Americans that still
don't have this kind rock band
access.
-- Broadband access.
Who are we talking about and how
do they make sure these people
get the service?
Laura: I spoke to someone at the
Brookings institution and she
toto me the federal estimate of
about 7% of Americans not
receiving broadband access is
probably in undercount.
>> The pandemic demonstrated it
is a lot of people, and not so
much people we suspected, the
poor, people in tribal
communities, people who are
older, foreign-born and in rural
America.
It extended to people we didn't
realize.
People on the xo orb inside, in
suburban America who could not
get online with kids to learn,
or teachers who could not teach
because they did not have
broadband or could not afford
it.
Laura: She added that when it
comes to making sure this
reaches those people who don't
have access at all, the ones
most in need of broadband, that
it will come down to the
administration and
accountability, and then
scrutinizing and interrogating
state plans.
Amna: We know this was a
critical part of the 2021
infrastructure plan, president
Biden's vision.
What about his reelection
campaign, where does it fit?
Laura: It's definitely
important.
Even though the white house and
those on the president's
campaign believe the GOP attacks
on lgbtq rights and abortion
will be big democratic
motivators, they know there is
an enthusiasm gap for the
president and the way to address
that, particularly on his
handling of the economy, is to
be out there talking about this,
showing things are getting done.
Making more progress toward
actual shovels in the ground on
these projects and blanketing
the country with cabinet
officials as well as himself
will be key.
Amna: All right, Laura, thank
you.
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