One Digital Dayton

May 10, 2023

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A multibillion-dollar effort to bridge the U.S. broadband divide

By Zack Frink, Powered by Elevate Dayton

Governments and local nonprofits are investing billions of dollars in initiatives that tackle gaps in availability, digital devices, affordability and online skills to deliver broadband internet access to millions of Americans, reports the Dayton Daily News.

The Big Picture: Through the allocation of federal funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, & Deployment (BEAD) Program ($42.45 billion), the Digital Equity Act ($2.75 billion), and the Affordable Connectivity Program ($14.2 billion), the U.S. government is working to narrow the digital divide that leaves low-income and rural communities without high-speed internet.

What's Next: State and regional organizations, such as Broadband Ohio and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, are striving to refine mapping and identify the specific requirements for internet infrastructure.

• Local initiatives in Greene and Montgomery Counties are focusing on enhancing infrastructure and gathering data.

The Bottom Line: Key challenges include efficiently allocating resources, raising awareness of federal initiatives and devising long-term solutions that tackle the root causes of broadband disparities.