Alabama State Broadband Office

The Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund is administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA.) Qualified Internet Service Providers were eligible for grants up to $1.5 million per project. They can apply separately for multiple projects. The accessibility fund program dispenses $20 million annually. 

Additionally, Governor Kay Ivery signed Senate Bill 215, or the Connect Alabama Act in July 2021. The legislation created the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority within ADECA to develop a statewide connectivity plan. It also created the Alabama Digital Expansion Finance Corporation. 

The Alabama Rural Broadband Coalition, a social infrastructure advocacy group, was essential to the legislation’s passage. Alabama ranked 47th nationally in broadband connectivity, and 73 percent of the state population does not have access to an affordable broadband plan, according to one July 2021 report. A 2019 U.S. Census Bureau’s survey also reports that the state ranks 46th in terms of number of households with a broadband subscription.