Four states – Alabama, Kentucky, Nevada and Texas – have been approved for projects funded through the Capital Projects Fund (CPF). The awards were announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The awards total $793.7 million and will reach more than 292,000 homes and businesses with broadband infrastructure.
The $10 billion Capital Projects Fund program was established by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help states and territories face the COVID-19 pandemic. States had the option of using the money for their choice of a variety of infrastructure initiatives, including broadband.
Some states used a large portion of their CPF funding for broadband. In addition, Treasury noted that some states are using money from their State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) for broadband.
So far, 30 states have been approved for a total of about $4.5 billion in CPF support. Those awards will enable networks to reach more than 1.2 million locations, according to Treasury.
The awards:
- Alabama: $191.9 million for broadband infrastructure, which the state estimates will connect 55,000 households and businesses to high-speed internet access. The plan represents 100% of the state’s total allocation under the CPF program.
- Kentucky: $182.8 million for broadband infrastructure, which the state estimates will connect 45,000 households and businesses to high-speed Internet access (100% of the state’s CPF allocation).
- Nevada: $55.2 million for broadband infrastructure, which the state estimates will connect over 40,000 households and businesses to high-speed Internet access (41% of the state’s total).
- Texas: $363.8 million for broadband infrastructure, which the state estimates will connect 152,000 households and businesses to high-speed Internet access (73% of the state’s total).
Service providers obtaining CPF money must participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides discounts up to $30 ($75 on Tribal Homelands).
Other recent CPF award announcements include one in October, when Treasury approved $435 million for projects in Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin. A month earlier, $66 million was approved for projects in New Hampshire
