Broadband Funding

Grant program is closed as of October 31, 2021.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA; PL 117-2) was signed into law on March 11, 2021, and provides fiscal relief funding for state and local governments, education, housing, food assistance, and additional grant programs. The Treasury has allocated $4.8 billion to the state of Georgia. To date, Georgia has received its first tranche of funding in the amount of $2.4 billion.

One of the allowable uses for these funds is broadband infrastructure to expand access to broadband internet.

Governor Kemp, joined by members of the Broadband Infrastructure Committee and state leaders, announced in February 2022 almost $408 million in preliminary awards which will provide communities, households, and businesses in 70 Georgia counties access to faster and more reliable broadband.

Georgia anticipates deploying Capital Projects funds later in 2022.

ARPA includes the $10 billion Capital Projects Fund for payments to states territories, and tribal governments to carry out critical capital projects that directly enable work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options in response to the public health emergency. The Capital Projects Fund allows for investment in high-quality broadband as well as other connectivity infrastructure, devices, and equipment.

If you are interested in applying for this funding opportunity, first review the eligibility criteria located within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Through the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, each state will receive at least $100 million in funds to deploy. Georgia should receive additional funding based upon the new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) national broadband map that is scheduled to be released in late 2022 or early 2023.

Upon approval by NTIA, Georgia will oversee the deployment of BEAD funding to reach three priority areas:

• Unserved locations
  • No access to 25 Mbps download and three Mbps upload speed
• Underserved locations
  • No access to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speed
• Community anchor institutions
  • Without gigabit connections

If you are interested in applying for this funding opportunity, first review the eligibility criteria located within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

The Digital Equity Act dedicates $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital inclusion and equity to ensure that all individuals and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy.

State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program

$60 million formula grant program for states and territories to develop digital equity plans.

State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program

$1.44 billion formula grant program for states and territories distributed via annual grant programs over five years to implement digital equity projects and support the implementation of digital equity plans.

Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

$1.25 billion discretionary grant program distributed via annual grant programs over five years to implement digital equity projects. Eligible applicants include specific types of political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of state; tribal governments, nonprofit entities; community anchor institutions; local educational agencies; and entities that carry out workforce development programs.

If you are interested in applying for this funding opportunity, first review the eligibility criteria located within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

The Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, established by IIJA, creates and funds a $1 billion program for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure. The purpose of the grant program is to expand and extend middle mile infrastructure to reduce the cost of connecting unserved and underserved areas to the internet backbone.

Eligible applicants include states' political subdivisions of a state; tribal governments; technology companies; electric utilities; utility cooperatives; public utility districts; telecommunications companies and cooperatives; nonprofit foundations, corporations, institutions, and associations; regional planning councils; native entities; or economic development authorities. 

Grant program is currently closed. Funding announced in February 2022.

The U.S. Department of Commerce NTIA administered $288 million in grant funding for the deployment of broadband infrastructure in 2021 and 2022. In the priority order below, NTIA accepted applications for projects that are designed to:

• Provide broadband service to the greatest number of households in an eligible service area
• Provide broadband service to rural areas
• Be most cost-effective in providing broadband service
• Provide broadband service with a download speed of at least 100 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps

Grant program is currently closed as of December 1, 2021.

The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program is a $268 million grant program to historically black (HBCU) and tribal (TCU) colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions (MSI) for the purchase of broadband internet access service and eligible equipment or to hire and train IT personnel.

Grant program is currently closed as of March 9, 2022.

The ReConnect program (https://www.usda.gov/reconnect) offers loans, grants, and loan-grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that currently do not have sufficient access to broadband. In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and infrastructure, the program will fuel long-term rural economic development and opportunities in rural America.

The entities considered eligible to apply for assistance under the ReConnect program include corporations, limited liability companies (LLC) and partnerships, cooperatives or mutual organizations, or states or local governments including any agency, subdivision, or instrumentality of political subdivision thereof.

Award funds may be used to fund the construction or improvement of facilities required to provide fixed terrestrial broadband service, reasonable pre-application expenses, and the acquisition of an existing system that does not currently provide sufficient access to broadband, eligible for 100% loan requests only.

Please check back for updated information on this grant program later in 2022.

The governor of Georgia and Georgia General Assembly have appropriated $20 million to $25 million to assist Georgia communities with broadband expansion.