Massachusetts to receive $147M in new federal broadband funding

Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech Michael Baldino (left) and Massachusetts Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey attended the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program announcement at the White House.

During an event at the White House yesterday, President Joe Biden, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and federal telecommunication leaders announced that Massachusetts will receive $147 million from the national Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, funding that will help the state further close the digital divide.

The program, overseen by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will use $42 billion in federal funds to expand affordable high-speed internet service nationwide.

In Massachusetts, funding will be deployed through a five-year action plan and proposal that the Massachusetts Broadband Institute is developing through ongoing engagement with the Massachusetts Broadband and Digital Equity Working Group, the statewide Broadband & Digital Equity Summit that was held on June 13, and the statewide Digital Equity survey, which seeks input from Massachusetts residents about their barriers to internet access, affordability, and adoption. The plan and proposal are due to the federal government later this year.

Massachusetts Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey and Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech Michael Baldino attended the White House event.

In a prepared statement, Gov. Maura Healey said, “With these funds, Massachusetts will build on ongoing work to ensure that our residents can access the affordable and reliable broadband service they need to work, learn, access healthcare resources, and connect with loved ones.”

Palfrey said the new funding “will be a gamechanger for Massachusetts and the grant programs that will flow out of our statewide digital equity planning effort.”

“This funding will continue Massachusetts’s legacy of leveraging federal investment to build an economy around innovation and learning by ensuring residents statewide can adopt the 21st century digital tools that many of us take for granted,” Palfrey said.

Baldino said the state has made progress over the last decade to close rural infrastructure gaps and has piloted programs that addressed digital inequities and spurred broadband adoption that can now be expanded “to achieve transformational change.”

Later this year, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute will host a series of regional listening sessions to solicit feedback about digital equity needs and opportunities. An overview of the state’s ongoing engagement around broadband and digital equity programs can be found on the Massachusetts Broadband Institute website.