Now that the infrastructure bill has passed Congress on it’s way to the President’s desk, we have final tallies on what is included for broadband.
- $42.45 billion in grants to states for broadband projects, which can range from network deployment to data collection to help determine areas that lack service.
- $4 billion for rural broadband construction programs.
- $1 billion to build “middle mile” infrastructure to connect local providers to larger internet access points.
- $600 million for private activity bonds to finance broadband deployment projects in rural areas.
Plus, subsidies for digital inclusion and low income support.
Passed the House – the SBA Cyber Awareness Act would require the SBA to report to Congress a cybersecurity breach that involves confidential information and inform lawmakers of the agency’s cyber capabilities. The Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act would require small business development centers to have employees certified in cyber strategy counseling for small businesses.
While I’m on legislation, here are one in Congress. The Ransomware and Financial Stability Act is focused on US financial institutions impacted by a ransomware attack, requiring notification to the Treasury Department. It does include provisions for confidentiality, but payments more than $100,000 require authorization.
Why do we care?
Broadband is infrastructure, as proven by the pandemic, and giving money to states, and then additional rural investments, should make a difference in the reach. Not something to leverage today, and not tomorrow, but in the near future. This should be considered a win for those in SMB.
On the potential side, there’s a flurry of laws to come. Clearly regulation around cybersecurity is coming, and probably on multiple fronts. Most of them look generally the same – you’ll be reporting breaches.