Alabama is set to receive $1.4 billion from the federal infrastructure law to expand broadband access in the state as part of the Biden administration’s $40 billion plan to increase internet access across the country.

The announcement was made by Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, who was the only Alabama representative to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Biden.

“In our 21st century economy, access to reliable high-speed internet is not a luxury. It is a necessity,” Sewell said in a statement. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re devoting more resources than ever before to expanding broadband, closing the digital divide, and ensuring that every Alabamian can connect to high-speed internet. These funds will be a game-changer for our state, and I look forward to working with [the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs] to ensure that they are equitably distributed to HBCUs and underserved communities, including in Birmingham and the Black Belt.”

Nearly one in five Alabama households do not have an internet subscription, according to statistics cited by Sewell, and 11.5 percent of state residents live in areas without broadband infrastructure.

The $1.4 billion in funding, which comes from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks in Alabama to ensure reliable, affordable high-speed internet.

Once the infrastructure is up and running, any remaining funds can be used to for access-, adoption- and equity-related uses, the congresswoman said.

The funds are among $2 billion allocated to Alabama for broadband infrastructure under the Biden administration.