Bean Town Times

REVERE, MA — On June 30, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) celebrated the Biden-Harris Administation’s Investing in America agenda and expansion of access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for every American through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program — a more than $42 billion grant program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This transformational effort to bridge America’s digital divide rewards Massachusetts with $419 million in funding. 

“The pandemic taught us all that access to high-speed internet is necessary — for school, for work, and for families to get by and get ahead,” said Whip Clark. “Through President Biden’s Infrastructure Law, Democrats are making good on our promise to grow the economy by growing the middle class — helping families afford internet access and building the infrastructure to connect every person, in every corner of the country, with the resources they need to thrive now and into the future.”

In Massachusetts, the Democrats’ Investing in America agenda and Internet for All initiative is:

• Strengthening our internet infrastructure: Providing support for critical programs that enable work, education, and health monitoring; Bringing high-speed internet to Tribal lands; Funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs statewide.
• Massachusetts will receive $147 million from the national BEAD program.
• Lowering monthly costs for families: Providing households with an up to $30/month discount on high-speed internet service and up to $100 discount toward a connected device.
• Already, 307,165 Massachusetts households are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program
• Advancing digital equity: Providing internet services and connected devices to students and staff, promoting digital inclusion, and serving minority and Tribal communities.

Original source can be found here.