The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced a $930 million worth of investment to expand middle mile high-speed Internet infrastructure across 35 states and Puerto Rico, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program invests in projects that build regional networks that connect to national Internet networks.
Middle mile Internet infrastructure carries large amounts of data over long distances, increases capacity to local networks, boosts network resiliency, lowers the cost of bringing high-speed Internet service to unconnected households and helps connect unserved regions to the Internet backbone.
“Access to Internet is no longer a luxury and thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we are taking action to close the digital divide for everyone in America. The Middle Mile program will invest more than $900 million in the infrastructure needed to connect communities, military bases, and Tribal lands to the Internet, lower the cost of access, and increase bandwidth,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Much like how the interstate highway system connected every community in America to regional and national systems of highways, this program will help us connect communities across the country to regional and national networks that provide quality, affordable high-speed Internet access.”
The middle mile projects will deploy over 12,000 miles of new fiber that will pass within 1,000 feet of 6,961 community anchor institutions. All projects use future-proof fiber as the primary technology. Grants will span from $2.7 million to $88.8 million, with an average award amount of $26.6 million.
“The Middle Mile program is a force multiplier in our efforts to connect everyone in America,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communication and Information Alan Davidson. “Middle Mile infrastructure brings capacity to our local networks and lowers the cost for deploying future local networks. These grants will help build the foundation of networks that will in turn connect every home in the country to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service.”