Even with Iowa in line for $415.3 million from the Biden administration to expand access to high-speed Internet, part of a record $42.5 billion being rolled out nationwide, experts question whether it will be enough to connect homes without broadband service and juice speeds for those with slow access.
An estimated 1.3 million Iowa homes have an Internet connection, leaving more than 84,000 without.
“Is it enough money to give most people in Iowa some connection to the Internet? We’ll see,” said Dave Duncan, CEO of the Iowa Communications Alliance, whose group represents close to 130 rural communications companies across the state.
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It’s a significant challenge.
“Those remaining unserved locations really are the toughest to serve, and they’re the most expensive,” Duncan said Tuesday.
Thousands more Iowans have slow access, he said. But improving connection speeds will come only after all residents have a digital connection.
“We heard from a lot of Iowans who have some service … but who aren’t served by robust, fast broadband service,” Duncan said.
Spending on broadband garners bipartisan praise
Announcing the funding Monday, Biden called it the “biggest investment in high-speed Internet ever” and compared his administration’s efforts to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1936 Rural Electrification Act, which aimed to bring electricity to “every American home and farm in our nation.”
“For today’s economy to work for everyone, Internet access is just as important as electricity was or water or other basic services,” said Biden, who was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Biden administration said all U.S. states, the District of Columbia and territories will have the “resources to connect every resident and small business to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet” by 2030.
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U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who voted for the Infrastructure Act, lauded the federal investments in Iowa. In addition to broadband, the Biden administration announced $43 million in state transportation grants.
“Access to efficient broadband and transportation is critical to connecting people and positioning communities for long-term successes,” Grassley said in a statement.
“Today’s infrastructure investments will kick start critical projects, particularly in rural parts of our state,” he said.
Patty Judge, a former Iowa lieutenant governor under Gov. Chet Culver, joined the bipartisan praise.
“Rural Iowa cannot survive, cannot thrive without the Internet. It’s the way people do business today,” said Judge, a Democrat who co-founded Focus on Rural America to elevate rural issues during regional and national elections. “Both sides of the political aisle have understood that.”
‘Watershed moment’ empowers states to address service gaps
The White House said 19 states received more than $1 billion apiece, with the top 10 allocations in Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
States will have 180 days to detail how they plan to run their broadband grant programs, the Commerce Department said.
“This is a watershed moment for millions of people across America who lack access to a high-speed Internet connection,” Alan Davidson, an assistant commerce secretary and head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said in a statement. “States can now plan their Internet access grant programs with confidence and engage with communities to ensure this money is spent where it is most needed.”
The lack of Internet access became starkly apparent during the global pandemic that forced millions to work and study online, and the Iowa State Education Association said access to technology and equipment in Iowa remains uneven.
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“There are schools across the state able to provide computer access for all students, including high-speed internet service, but there is an uneven distribution based on geography and zip code in far too many school districts,” Mike Beranek, the association’s president, said in an email.
“We believe access to equipment and technology should not be based on where you live, rather it should be based on the belief that all children are entitled to the tools and resources they need to thrive,” Beranek said.
Does focus on rural areas neglect poor urban dwellers?
But Sean Gonsalves, a spokesman for the Institute for Local Self Reliance in Minneapolis, said his group is unsure all Americans will get high-speed Internet access, even with record investment.
Among the reasons: The federal program is designed to invest in connecting unserved and underserved Americans in rural areas, not in urban areas, where high poverty rates have resulted in poor service.
“The big telecom and monopoly providers don’t want competition in urban areas,” said Gonsalves, whose group studies community broadband access.
And even with the Affordable Connectivity Program that provides low-income Americans with $30 each month to help pay for service, Gonsalves said it’s not enough to make Internet access affordable. Increased competition will help drive prices lower, he said, and improve service.
“If you’re served by a monopoly, a single Internet provider, it’s take it or leave it,” Gonsalves said.
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White House also hands out transit funds; Iowa City state’s top recipient
In addition to praising the internet investment, Grassley highlighted three Iowa transportation awards announced Monday: Nearly $23.3 million for Iowa City to buy electric buses and replace its 1980s-vintgage operations and maintenance facility; nearly $17.9 million for the Iowa Department of Transportation to help five rural transit agencies buy electric buses; and nearly $2.4 million for Dubuque’s The Jule transit system to buy electric buses and charging equipment.
The money is part of nearly $1.7 billion allocated for transit projects in 46 states and territories.
Also on Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said small Iowa communities that have been underserved or disadvantaged could apply for $711,000 in grants to improve their drinking water infrastructure.
Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457.
