Which States Have Dedicated Broadband Offices, Task Forces, Agencies, or Funds?

Editor’s Note: This article was updated September 14, 2022, to reflect state-level changes since July 18, 2022.

Over the past several years, states have steadily increased their efforts to expand broadband access. All 50 states now have active broadband programs, but the structures of those programs vary: Some involve have a central office responsible for managing or coordinating broadband efforts, while others distribute the work across multiple agencies.

These state programs—as well as recently launched efforts in Washington, D.C., and most U.S. territories—must now administer billions of federal broadband dollars provided to them through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

This downloadable table indicates whether a jurisdiction has the following:

• Office: A centralized authority for broadband projects.
• Agency: One or more departments working on broadband projects.
• Task force: A formal team—often involving multiple agencies and sectors—dedicated to broadband issues.
• Fund: A dedicated resource that makes grants to localities, internet service providers, Tribes, cooperatives, nonprofit organizations, public-private partnerships, or public utility districts to expand broadband access.
• Goal: An outcome that the state’s broadband program is working to achieve.
• Plan: A document that defines objectives and the actions necessary to meet them.
• Map: A visual representation of where broadband is and is not available.

To learn about the state laws that govern these efforts, visit our "State Broadband Policy Explorer."

Anna Read is a senior officer and Lily Gong is an associate with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ broadband access initiative.