(WWLP) – The fight to provide everyone in western and central Massachusetts with broadband internet continues.
The infrastructure bill that passed last week is not only going to help fix our roads and bridges, it’s also going to expand broadband internet, especially for cities and towns west of Boston.
Senator Ed Markey met with members who operate the MassBroadband 123 Network to bring attention to the importance of making sure everyone has access to internet. Of the more than $9 billion from the infrastructure bill coming to the state, a minimum of $100 million will go to expanding broadband internet access.
Senator Markey told 22News, “The bill will provide between half a billion and $800 million worth of funding for all the communities in western Massachusetts and the Berkshires who have been desperate to get broadband connectivity that they always needed.”
According to the White House, more than 1.3 million Massachusetts residents will be eligible for a new program, offering $30 a month to help low-income individuals afford internet. The bill’s funding is slated to be spent over the next five to six years.
