Treasury Funds for Idaho and Delaware, FCC Funds $24 Million for Schools, Musk Tweets New CEO

May 14, 2023 – The Treasury Department announced Monday federal funding awards for broadband infrastructure and multi-purpose community facility projects in Idaho and Delaware under the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund.

“This funding is a key piece of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments to increase access to high-speed internet for millions of Americans and provide more opportunities to fully participate in the 21st century economy,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo in a statement.

Idaho is set to receive approximately $120 million to support broadband infrastructure projects that will connect an estimated 35,000 locations across the state through a competitive grant program. The state will prioritize fiber investments in locations that lack internet at speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.

Delaware is approved to receive $65.9 million for Delaware’s Multi-Purpose Community Facility Program, which will provide funding for the construction and renovation of 29 nonprofit community facilities.

In accordance with the Treasury’s guidance, each state’s plan requires service providers to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which subsidizes high-speed internet for low-income households at no more than $30 per month.

The Capital Projects Fund provides a total of $10 billion to states and territories to fund critical capital projects. To date, the CPF has awarded approximately $6.5 billion for broadband, digital technology, and multi-purpose community center projects in 41 states.

FCC announces $24 Million for Emergency Connectivity Fund

The Federal Communications Commission announced Wednesday that it is allocating $24 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, which aims to provide digital services for students in communities across the United States.

The funding commitment supports applications that will benefit around 45,000 students across the country in Alaska, Arizona, California, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized the importance of the program, stating that the commission is committed to making sure all children have the digital tools they need to connect with their teachers and complete online homework.

The ECP launched in 2021 and has helped over 17 million students connect to schools and teachers through the $6.67 billion committed to the program. To date, the program has provided support to around 11,00 schools and 1,000 libraries, providing nearly 13 million connected devices and over 8 million broadband connections.

“This program… builds on our progress to close the homework gap,” said Rosenworcel in a statement, referring to the difficulty some students experience completing homework due to a poor internet connection.

Linda Yaccarino named new Twitter CEO, according to an Elon Musk Tweet

Elon Musk announced in a Friday tweet that Linda Yaccarino, a veteran of the advertising industry and former NBCUniversal executive, will take the helm as the new CEO of Twitter.

The appointment follows Musk’s decision in December to step down as CEO and transition to the role of executive chairman and chief technology officer.

Yaccarino’s experience generating over $100 billion in ad sales and successfully integrating and digitizing ad sales at NBCUniversal and Comcast could prove valuable in restoring advertiser’s trust in Twitter, whose ad business has taken a hit under Musk’s leadership, said ad agency DiGo Founder, Mark DiMassimo in response to the news.

Musk’s tenure at Twitter’s helm has been chaotic and controversial. He began his first day firing the company’s top executives, followed by roughly 80 percent of its staff. He has upended the platform’s verification system and scaled back content moderation and safeguards against the spread of misinformation.

Musk tweeted his excitement about Yaccarino’s appointment, saying that she “will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design and new technology.”

Shares of Tesla, Musk’s other company, rose about 2 percent after the announcement.