Since the 2021 passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, states have been prepping middle-mile broadband construction projects to help numerous communities with poor or little internet access get connected into expanding national and regional broadband networks.
The federal government awarded 39 separate contracts across multiple states this summer, focused solely on middle-mile construction via the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The $1 billion earmarked by the IIJA isn’t the only funding heading toward a middle-mile buildout, as state entities have also invested in the process, with the most prominent of the known investments a $3.25-billion pledge by California.