Recently, a historic investment was made to ensure that every American has access to reliable, high-speed internet. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which dedicates $65 billion to bridge the digital divide, includes $42.5 billion allocated for states, $14.2 billion to tackle affordability for qualified low income users, $2.75 billion to focus on digital literacy, $2 billion for rural broadband programs, $2 billion for Tribal broadband, $1 billion for middle-mile connections, and $600 million for tax exempt private activity bonds.
But what does all this mean, where has some of this money already gone, and how do we ensure that equity is at the forefront of how these dollars are spent? On May 19th, the Michelson 20MM Foundation, the California Community Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation and SoCal Grantmakers hosted “Why the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Matters: A Breakdown and an Update,” the next installment of our series, Connecting California: Solving the Digital Divide.
