The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law in November 2021, provided $550 billion in federal funding . The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Digital Equity Act (DE) program were funded through IIJA; both programs will be administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Montana has been awarded $629 million through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
The ConnectMT Program was codified in Senate Bill 297 and House Bill 632 in Montana’s 67th legislative session by Governor Gianforte to award grants to internet service providers (ISPs) to improve broadband access across the state. In 2021, the Montana Legislature dedicated $270 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to the first round of grants.