Broadband in Alabama’s Black Belt in 2025

Broadband in Alabama’s Black Belt in 2025 describes the tremendous progress made to date and the persistent gaps that still exist. In partnership with the University of Alabama’ Center for Business and Economic Research, the Education Policy Center, UA’s oldest center or institute, has published 7 reports on Education & Workforce Development, 6 on Economic Development, Poverty, & Employment, 3 on Healthcare, and 4 on Infrastructure & Community Capacity. We draw from this extensive research, building on our 2020 brief, “Internet Access Disparities in Alabama & the Black Belt” and our 2022 brief, “Infrastructure in Alabama's Black Belt,” to answer three questions:

1. What is the total public investment of federal and state governments to achieve broadband connectivity since 2018, when the landmark Alabama Broadband Accessibility Act was passed?
2. What did these funds buy, especially in the Black Belt?
3. Given the moving target of changing high-speed benchmarks, what access gaps exist today that must be addressed to secure universal connectivity?