Bay State News

Boston – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, celebrated the Biden administration’s announcement today to award $147,422,464 in federal funding—through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—to expand access to high-speed broadband in unserved and underserved communities across Massachusetts.

“From the Berkshires to the Cape, this federal funding will help Massachusetts’s unserved and underserved households stay connected with loved ones, apply for jobs, and access health care and other online resources,” said Senator Markey. “Today’s announcement is the latest example of how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continues to deliver critical investments for families across our Commonwealth and across the country. I will continue to push for big, bold investments in high-speed, reliable internet access so that our nation can finally close the digital divide.”

Senator Markey has long been an advocate for improving broadband access in Massachusetts and across the country. As part of his the 1996 Telecommunications Act, then-Congressman Markey established the original E-Rate program, which has invested nearly $62 billion, including more than $861 million in Massachusetts, to provide internet access for schools and libraries. In March 2021, Senator Markey also secured funding in the American Rescue Plan to create the new Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), a critical extension of the E-Rate program, to ensure that students and educators could access high-speed broadband at home. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has distributed $6.7 billion through the ECF, including $86 million in Massachusetts. Earlier this year, Senator Markey helped secure an additional $145 million to improve broadband access in Massachusetts through the Capital Projects Fund.

Original source can be found here.