INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana will receive $868 million in federal high-speed internet funding, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s telecommunications wing announced Monday. It is part of a national pot worth $42 billion.
States must use the money to administer grant programs deploying or upgrading broadband networks “to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service,” according to a news release.
The initiative dubbed the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, was created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Biden administration has called it the largest internet funding announcement in history.
Indiana previously called on Hoosiers to challenge a federal-level map of the state’s broadband coverage. National authorities used the map data to determine state funding, but it likely showed coverage as being better than in reality — depressing funding. States needed residents to file corrections to maximize their disbursements.
Indiana, along with other states, will get a formal notice of allocation on Friday, according to the release. It will have 180 days to submit initial proposals for grant programs but can submit as early as July 1. Once states meet their goals, they can use any remaining money on related broadband access, adoption, and equity projects.
Indiana has invested in its own broadband coverage as well, primarily through its Next Level Connections grant program to eligible broadband providers.
The state has also created Steps to Success, a handbook to help Hoosier communities expand coverage and affordability, as well as a program that certifies communities as “broadband ready.”
Indiana is also working on a subsidy program for student households, school corporations, and rural health clinics, per the Office of Community and Rural Affairs website.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy, and elections.