Experts believe more than 18 million Americans lack the
high-speed internet access necessary to sufficiently participate in
America's business and educational opportunities. The lack of
access often derives from the lack of broadband infrastructure in
rural areas. That lack of infrastructure is due to there not being
enough households per mile in certain areas to offset the costs
faced by service providers in installing fiber in those areas.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic and changing economy underscores,
the lack of adequate internet access imposes a great obstacle to
work and school opportunities for many Americans.
To address this problem, a number of federal and state programs
have been undertaken to aid businesses and governments in
alleviating some of these obstacles, both in the form of funding
through loans and grants and in the creation of state and local
institutions to aid in the planning of solutions, including state
and local broadband authorities. In
