MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama’s proposed plan for broadband expansion using $1.4 billion in federal funds received approval Thursday from the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration, kicking off a new phase of the state’s broadband expansion efforts.
The $1.4 billion in federal funds were awarded to Alabama last year as part of a $42 billion broadband expansion program known as Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, itself a component of the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
The program to expand Alabama’s broadband infrastructure is being administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which will begin accepting applications from internet service providers for projects to connect homes and businesses to broadband internet sometime in 2025.
“From the beginning, my goal to expand access to high-speed internet to every area of Alabama has been a team effort, and our plan to utilize these substantial BEAD funds to close the gap in broadband coverage is no different,” Gov. Kay Ivey said Thursday in a statement.
“ADECA, lawmakers, local leaders, and internet service providers each play a valuable role to ensure all of Alabama is connected. I commend all our partners in the approval of the plan and look forward to rolling out this funding in 2025.”
After Alabama was awarded the $1.4 billion last year, Ivey launched a new initiative, dubbed ‘Be Linked Alabama,’ with the goal of expanding access to high-speed internet, particularly in the state’s rural and underserved areas.
Alabama, more specifically ADECA, was charged with developing a plan for utilizing the $1.4 billion to expand broadband in the state, known as the Digital Opportunity Plan, which was submitted to the federal government last December for approval.
“ADECA has worked hard with our many partners to complete the plan to deploy the BEAD program funds in Alabama,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said Thursday in a statement.
The $1.4 billion in funding will be used primary for what are referred to as ‘last-mile’ projects, the final step in connecting a home or business to broadband typically handled by internet service providers.
In a statement, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt championed the federal government’s approval of the broadband expansion plan, and noted the impact expanded access will have on the state’s economy.
“With continued state-federal and public-private partnerships making strategic investments in closing the digital divide, more Alabamians will have the opportunity to achieve their American Dream,” Britt said.
“I appreciate the leadership of Governor Ivey and ADECA in advancing this tailored plan for our state. I’ve always said we need to put Alabama first, and Gov. Ivey is doing just that. I look forward to seeing how increased connectivity elevates our state and our communities long into the future.”
Ivey and state lawmakers have invested significant resources in recent years toward expanding broadband access, with more than $500 million in grants from both state and federal funds since 2018. Those grants will support more than 200 projects that, once finished, will connect an estimated 140,000 more homes, businesses and public facilities like schools and libraries.