Billions in broadband funding: Who decides where it goes and why some states are preparing to challenge those decisions

Nashville, Tenn. (August 15, 2022) - Billions of dollars in funding for expanding access to broadband (high-speed internet) is now available to states.

RFD-TV, a broadcast group that focuses on rural affairs issues across the country, asked Connected Nation (CN) to explain what state and community leaders need to know and do about accessing those funds to help unserved or underserved households and businesses in their area.

“Billions of dollars are being thrown at a problem that has plagued our country for the last 30 years,” said Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, CN. “It is such an important time for state governments, for communities, and for organizations like mine that have been trying to stem the tide of the Digital Divide for years now. This is really going to focus on some of the hardest hit areas in our country—rural areas, our tribal lands, these are areas that have traditionally been left behind because of the cost of getting service out there.”

Watch Ferree’s full interview below to learn why leaders must focus on both last mile AND middle mile investments, who will make these decisions, and why some states are now preparing to challenge the federal data that will be used to allocate the funding.