Next, the Affordable Connectivity Program subsidizes broadband subscriptions for low-income households. First, there’s $42 billion for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will fund infrastructure development, such as installing fiber optic cables to homes and businesses. The Infrastructure Act’s broadband funding is divided into three major parts. Other estimates place the rural broadband gap at upwards of 51.3%.įortunately, however, California is also one of the best-situated states to tackle digital inequity. According to one study, only 76% of rural residents have adopted broadband. California is slated to receive the largest allocations of funds-an estimated $3.5 billion-because the state has a major connectivity disparity: Though over 90% of residents have access to the internet, that percentage drops precipitously in rural, remote, and tribal areas. The federal government’s recent financial commitment to broadband-defined by the government as speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 3 Mbps upload-acknowledges this to be true.Ī year ago, Congress passed the trillion-dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated $65 billion for broadband deployment, affordability, and education. This became especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadband access is linked to everything from housing values to economic development, educational gains, telehealth, civic engagement, public safety, and quality of life. These scenarios are part of what has come to be known as “digital equity”-a term that captures the issues of high-speed internet (“broadband”) availability, affordability, adoption, hardware, and education.Īffordable, high-quality broadband is not a luxury or a nice-to-have, but a necessity. But it turns out that your town does not have strong enough internet to process a credit card transaction. You invest in a new point-of-sale system to streamline your payments and launch a website to attract customers outside of the state. Or imagine you’re a small business owner, eager to expand your business. You don’t know how to book a vaccine online, so you’ve been on hold for hours. I’m Derek Miller with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business.Imagine you’re a senior citizen in the midst of the pandemic. UTOPIA is an acronym for the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency which promotes competition by giving customers the freedom to choose from various competing internet providers. We’re happy to hear that because we truly believe that ‘Internet is Life.’ Learn more at. And 4 out of 5 would recommend us to a friend or a colleague. Many said with UTOPIA Fiber, they save more money and now have plenty of bandwidth for all of their family’s needs. We recently surveyed 2,500 customers and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We now have residential services in 20 Utah cities and business class services in over 50 Utah communities. 10 Gigs to every home and up to 100 Gigs to every business. Our customers get the best service and products, along with fastest Internet speeds in the U.S. UTOPIA Fiber builds the infrastructure that brings your favorite Internet Service Providers to your home and business. UTOPIA Fiber is the nation’s largest Open Access fiberoptic broadband network, originally founded by 11 cities in Utah. UTOPIA Fiber’s Chief Marketing Officer Kim McKinley has more. Having high-speed, reliable internet is a requirement for nearly every business and makes life better at home, especially for students. This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. WORKFORCE RESILIENCE THROUGH MENTAL FITNESS.SUICIDE PREVENTION IN THE WORKFORCE EMPLOYER TOOLKIT.BEST PRACTICES GUIDE FOR CLOSING THE GENDER WAGE GAP.A BUSINESS VISION FOR UTAH’S ENERGY FUTURE.UTAH COMPACT ON RACIAL EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION.DIVERSITY & INCLUSION LEADERSHIP TRAINING SERIES.WOMEN & BUSINESS CONFERENCE AND ATHENA AWARDS LUNCHEON.UTAH ECONOMIC OUTLOOK & PUBLIC POLICY SUMMIT.
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