IT Blog

The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by the Senate Tuesday directs $65 billion toward extending broadband networks to people who can’t access them or afford them, along with significant investments into transportation and utilities. While the bill defines broadband service as a modest 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20mbps for uploads, it also contains several meaningful protections that will benefit all kinds of broadband consumers.

The centerpiece of the bill’s broadband investment allocates $40 billion to states, which will then work with localities and ISPs to improve networks. The funds will be administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Department of Commerce.

“The infrastructure bill acknowledges the crucial role that states play in expanding broadband access,” says Kathryn de Wit, who leads the broadband access initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The bill’s language reflects the idea that the…