Broadband for All: Harnessing ARPA for Effective Broadband Expansion
Hannah Faulwell, Austin Ford, Edward Guo, Muhammad Kamaruzuki
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) has the potential to address several of the primary issues historically associated with broadband access in America, including funding concentration among few ISPs, unreliable data regarding broadband coverage, and device ownership disparities on the basis of income and age. This project studied a set of outstanding broadband projects using ARPA funding to understand how localities are addressing the critical issues of accessibility, affordability, and adoption to infuse equity into their broadband expansion efforts. Our major finding is that, across projects, harnessing the power of innovative partnerships bolsters local capacity, providing the tools necessary to overcome barriers in the areas of funding, determination of need, and implementation to best advance project goals.
Faulwell, H., Ford, A., Guo, E., Kamaruzuki, M. (2022). Broadband for All: Harnessing ARPA for Effective Broadband Expansion. Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University. Issue Brief. Case Studies.
See Video and Slides of students' presentation at the 2022 APA Virtual National Conference
