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The idea that internet access was a luxury was demolished before anyone even heard of COVID-19. But the pandemic — and demands that work, school and medicine shift from in-person to virtual practice — have made it impossible for public officials to ignore.
The good news is that the Texas Legislature has taken it seriously, setting up an office to figure out how to expand access and affordability of high-speed broadband when the money is available, starting with $500 million in federal pandemic relief.
The bad news is that it will be at least a year before the state makes a real difference in getting broadband access to Texans who don’t have it, and lowers the price for people who can’t afford internet service that’s available to them. .
Federal and state governments are working on the broadband internet problem, but governments dialup can be slower than internet. While they are working on it, it will probably take until this time next year to see the results.
Holes in the network exposed Texas, like other states, during the pandemic, and the gaps were evident even before COVID-19. Pharr, Brownsville, Tyler, Harlingen and Beaumont were among the 20 worst connected U.S. cities in 2019 by the National Alliance for Digital Inclusion — the most recent year of the survey. Texas has more rural schools than any other state, and large parts of rural Texas have spotty, if any, internet access. Urban Texas often has broadband access that many residents can’t afford—a real problem when it’s the only way to attend classes or get to work.
Most of the money to expand Texas broadband will come from the federal government, and much of it — an as-yet undetermined amount — is part of a federal infrastructure bill approved in November after Texas lawmakers wrapped up their regular and special sessions. Some of the fixes to make that money flow will probably come from the Legislature itself, which won’t respond until January 2023.
Meanwhile, the state has access to $500 million in federal money through COVID-19-related grants; Much of that will be available by the end of this year, according to Jennifer Harris, Texas state program director for Connected Nation, a nonprofit group that promotes “broadband adoption, access and use” in the US. Harris is also the Vice Chair of the Governor’s Broadband Development Council.
Lawmakers have entrusted broadband to state comptroller Glenn Hegar, who has been traveling the state collecting public comments on broadband access and affordability, as well as online feedback. His office maps the areas of the state with and without broadband and will likely be the one to direct federal money coming to Texas to the right places.
Director Greg Conte says his broadband development office will issue a report in mid-June that will pave the way for broadband expansion. By the end of the year, there will be a detailed map of the state – property by property – to show where expansion is needed. Conte, Harris and others say the state won’t know how much money they’ve made until federal officials draw up maps from all states.
Each state will receive a minimum of $100 million in federal infrastructure for broadband, and then a portion of the $42.5 billion will be divided based on each state’s maps. Wild estimates from experts indicate that Texas will gain $1 billion to $4 billion. Those maps are similar to the one Hegar is working on, Harris said in a phone conversation that broke up two or three times while driving through one of the sparsest and least connected parts of West Texas. The conversation was a quick reminder of what it’s like to do business in places with little communication technology.
Other federal money – $500 million in pandemic aid, which will be given on a project-by-project basis – will be available later this year. Also, low-income Texans who have access to broadband services they can’t afford can apply to another federal program that pays up to $30 a month for excess services.
The delays are frustrating, but government officials are working on it, spending money, trying to fix what’s wrong. I wish they would get together more often.
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