The U.S. Treasury earmarked nearly $8 billion in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) money for broadband projects as of March 31. That’s according to a new Treasury report; the Treasury is administering the program. The SLFRF program was created in the American Rescue Plan Act.
The fund’s budget is $350 billion. State and local governments can use the money for a range of infrastructure projects, including broadband. Some are directing a considerable portion of their funding for that purpose, according to Telecompetitor.
Since January, communities have increased their SLFRF budgets for broadband projects by three percent, according to the Treasury. A previous Treasury report determined $7.3 billion in SLFRF funding had been budgeted for broadband projects, notes Telecompetitor. States and the largest cities and counties have budgeted nearly 80 percent of their total SLFRF money, according to the newest report.
Examples of how state and local governments are budgeting SLFRF money for broadband, include:
- Box Elder County, UT will use $1.5 million in SLFRF money for last-mile infrastructure in underserved rural communities
- Brownsville, TX will use $20 million for internet connectivity
- IA will use nearly $200 million from the SLFRF program, in combination with $149 million from the Capital Projects Fund, to upgrade broadband connections in over 50 counties
- New Kent County, VA will use nearly $4.5 billion in SLFRF money to provide access to high-speed broadband to every household in the county, including 3,000 currently unserved locations
- West Virginia will use $90 million from the SLFRF program, in combination with $130 million in Capital Projects Fund money, for the West Virginia State Broadband Initiative. The Capital Projects Fund is another ARPA broadband program.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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