The Washington Post reported that the investment was announced by President Joe Biden at the White House on June 26 (local time), aiming to provide broadband internet solutions to all 50 states and territories of the country by 2030. The investment is based on the broadband deployment and equitable access program, and is part of the $1,000 billion infrastructure investment law that Mr. Biden signed in 2021. "This is the largest investment ever in high-speed internet. In today's economy, everyone needs the internet to work, and access to the internet is as important as electricity, water or other basic services," President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House.

President Joe Biden announced investment in high-speed internet on June 26. Photo: The Washington Post

The $42 billion will not be distributed evenly, however, but will be divided based on a map of internet coverage, with each state receiving at least $107 million. The two most populous states in the US, Texas and California, will receive the largest investments, with $3.1 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively. Less populous states such as Virginia, Alabama and Louisiana are also among the top 10 recipients, due to their large rural areas and lack of internet connectivity compared to urban centers. States are expected to submit plans for building broadband internet infrastructure later this year and receive about 20% of the funding up front. The remaining money will be disbursed by the US government later. “It’s really important that we don’t leave any communities behind in this project,” said Brandy Reitter, executive director of the Colorado Broadband Service Office.

To date, many locations in the United States still have limited broadband internet access. According to Reuters, telecommunications companies such as Verizon, Comcast, Charter Communications or AT&T are only cautious about providing internet to rural and sparsely populated areas due to high investment costs and limited potential subscribers. US Vice President Kamala Harris added that to date, there are still 24 million Americans who do not have access to high-speed internet because they cannot afford the monthly fee or because they live in places that are not fully connected to fiber optic networks. This has attracted public attention since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, forcing many American students to study online.

The investment recently announced by President Joe Biden is expected to help 8.5 million households and businesses in the US gain access to high-speed internet infrastructure.

The Washington Post notes that the internet is a safe way for many Americans to work, study, shop and stay in touch with loved ones. A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that 60% of low-income consumers said they often encountered problems using online services during the Covid-19 pandemic due to slow internet speeds. In addition, nearly half of respondents said they felt anxious about whether they could afford to pay their monthly internet bill.

ANH VU