Tennessee set to receive $800 million in federal grants to expand broadband internet access

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sometimes it’s easy to forget that being able to search the world with one click of the mouse is a world away for more people than you may think.

“Everyone needs to be able to go on their internet,” Sylvia Corley, who comes to the Maury County Public Library for internet access, said.

“All I have is this,” Samantha Flat said as she held up her cell phone. “So when I need to do things for longer amounts of time that don’t strain my eyes, I come here.”

An estimated 200,000 Tennesseans don’t have access to high speed internet, largely due to the area where they live. But a new federal program could be changing that over the next few years.

“It shouldn’t be that way in the United States of America, and it won’t be that way when we’re done with our work,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, said in an interview with Scripps News.

The Biden administration announced how they’re dividing up the $40 billion dollars Congress approved in 2021 to expand broadband internet access across the country. Tennessee will get $800 million. Kentucky will get over a billion.

“Enough is enough, everyone deserves the internet and we’re going to finally close this digital divide,” Raimondo said.

For Corley, availability isn’t necessarily the concern. It’s affordability.

“It’s very expensive and it was one of the things I took out of my budget. I used the library as a resource,” Corley said.

The President’s plan hopes to address affordability as well. The question now becomes, what does the White House consider affordable?

“100 dollars, 150 dollars a month isn’t affordable for most Americans,” Raimondo said.

If you ask Corley, the answer to that affordability question could make a world of difference.

“Oh it’s a great idea, it’s a great idea,” she said. “If the program can decrease the cost, I would consider it. I think it would be a perfect idea for those who cannot afford it.”

A spokesperson for Tennessee Governor Bill Lee confirmed that the state will accept the $800 million in federal grants, despite declining to accept federal grants earlier this year to conduct HIV testing.

“Tennessee has made strategic investments in broadband infrastructure to ensure that our rural communities are connected and have every opportunity to thrive, and we trust that ECD will manage these grant dollars effectively to continue serving Tennesseans,” Governor Lee said in a statement provided by his press secretary.

Tennessee is expected to roll out a plan for dividing the $800 million in the coming months.

The White House warns it will take several years to build out the nation’s broadband infrastructure, but they are committed to staying focused on the initiative for the next four to six years.