The federal government is allocating billions of dollars to make broadband available, affordable, and accessible across the country. State governments will be in charge of how this money is used. State Connections was created to help state legislators maximize this opportunity.

State Connections is a working group of state legislators from across the country. We are open to all legislators and legislative staff, no matter your state, political party, or level of broadband expertise. Join and help us achieve the goal of universal connectivity.

Discussions are led by State Rep. Louis Riggs, who draws on years of legislative experience preparing Missouri for its upcoming $1.7B federal broadband investment. Rep. Riggs is supported by Janie Dunning, former State Director for USDA Rural Development and current leader of Missouri’s statewide broadband coalition.

The Challenge:

Broadband is complicated, expensive, and takes a long time to build.

• For years, there has been insufficient federal funding to support broadband infrastructure in rural and low-income areas. What funding was available was often used on technologies that are now out-of-date, or it was entrusted to providers that never built the promised networks. As a result, tens of millions of Americans currently live without broadband.

• States are being given an opportunity to rectify this problem. The federal government is allocating each state historically large sums of money and empowering them to address nearly every facet of the digital divide—access, affordability, and adoption. However, money alone will not solve the problem. States must first address policy issues that have historically prevented money from being used effectively—broadband definitions, staffing levels, permitting and related issues, sustainability of funds, and oversight.