Broadband is topic of 2nd MMA BIL webinar on Nov. 15

Broadband will be the focus of the second in a series of webinars hosted by the MMA related to the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The free webinar, “Broadband and Digital Equity Investments,” will be held on Nov. 15. Local officials are invited to register online.

The webinar will discuss how to use federal broadband funding opportunities to close the digital divide, bolster economic development, and enhance the lives of residents by equipping them with the skills and devices critical to participating in today’s society.

Heath Fahle, assistant secretary for federal funds in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, will open the session with a short summary of the IIJA and an overview of the federal funding landscape.

Ashley Stolba, undersecretary at the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, will cover the status of major federal broadband funding opportunities.

From the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, Director and General Counsel Michael Baldino and Program Manager, Partnerships Joshua Eichen will discuss broadband mapping and the MBI’s new digital equity programs. Baldino and Eichen will also highlight how cities and towns can use the MBI’s Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program to identify community needs and actions that will ensure that residents have access to reliable and affordable broadband service.

The first webinar in the IIJA series was held on Sept. 20, focused on IIJA/BIL funding opportunities through Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. The webinar series is co-sponsored by the MMA and the Division of Local Services.

For more information, contact MMA Education and Training Coordinator Lily Rancatore at lrancatore@mma.org.