Sen. Padilla: Calif. Should Get 'Fair Share' from Infrastructure Law
The “sky’s the limit” on how many more broadband dollars California can get beyond a minimum $100 million the state is to receive under the recently enacted infrastructure law, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said at a California Forward webinar Tuesday.…
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The infrastructure law’s $65 billion for broadband includes $42.45 billion for NTIA grants to states under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program (see 2111240021). President Joe Biden signed the law but not checks, said Padilla. To get its “fair share,” California must be “proactive” as NTIA defines programs to make sure projects and applications are ready, he said. California is “ahead of the game” because it already invested much money over many years, he said: The state knows well which areas remain unserved and underserved and about how much it will cost to bring them high speeds. How much money each state gets beyond $100 million is based on a formula in the law, and exact amounts won’t be known until FCC maps come out, possibly in early summer 2022, said NTIA acting Administrator Evelyn Remaley. NTIA plans listening sessions and to seek comments as it develops its notice of funding availability, she said. California is "ready and willing" to work with the federal government, said Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes.