Nevada to receive $416M to expand broadband access

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Senator Catherine Cortez Masto announced that $416,666,229.74 in federal funding is coming to Nevada to expand broadband access in communities across the state.

According to a media release, the funding is coming through the Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

“Broadband access is essential for Nevada’s economy and our communities,” said Sen. Cortez Masto. “This funding will help us close the digital divide in the Silver State and create new opportunities for business owners, students, and families. I pushed to ensure Nevada got more of the broadband funding it deserved, and will continue fighting to ensure Nevadans have access to high-speed internet in every corner of the state.”

The BEAD program is a $42.4 billion initiative designed to help close the digital divide by expanding access to high-speed internet in underserved and unserved areas. This grant funding will be used to support planning, infrastructure development, and adoption programs to expand high-speed internet access to underserved and unserved areas of Nevada.

On Monday, President Joe Biden said that high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but an “absolute necessity,” as he pledged that every household in the nation would have access by 2030 using cables made in the U.S.

Biden announced that more than $40 billion would be distributed across the country to deliver high-speed internet in places where there’s either no service or service is too slow.

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