Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP)

The Broadband Infrastructure Program is a broadband deployment program directed to partnerships between a state, or one or more political subdivisions of a state, and providers of fixed broadband service to support broadband infrastructure deployment to areas lacking broadband, especially rural areas. The BIP makes grants on a competitive basis to covered partnerships for covered broadband projects.

Eligibility

A covered partnership is eligible for a grant under the Broadband Infrastructure Program. The Act defines a covered partnership as a partnership between:
(A) a State, or one or more political subdivisions of a State; and
(B) a provider of fixed broadband service.

A covered partnership may include more than one provider of fixed broadband service as part of its application. Additionally, a provider of fixed broadband service may participate in more than one covered partnership.

The term “covered broadband project” means a competitively and technologically neutral project for the deployment of fixed broadband service that provides qualifying broadband service in an eligible service area.

The term “qualifying broadband service” means broadband service with:
(A) a download speed of not less than 25 megabits per second;
(B) an upload speed of not less than 3 megabits per second; and
(C) a latency sufficient to support real time, interactive applications.

The term “eligible service area” means a census block in which broadband service is not available at one or more households or businesses in the census block.

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