Governor Kay Ivey has awarded nearly $42 million for “last-mile” high-speed internet projects in 23 Alabama counties.
The latest Capital Projects Fund grants will cover 2,347 miles and provide broadband availability to more than 15,000 households, businesses and community anchor institutions in the state that currently do not have access to high-speed internet.
“With these latest grants, Alabama takes another all-important step to supplying high-speed internet availability to more rural Alabama communities and neighborhoods,” said Governor Ivey in a press release. “Upon completion of these projects, more children will have better learning opportunities, more businesses will have greater opportunities to compete worldwide, and emergency response departments and medical clinics will be able to offer improved services.
“Last-mile” projects are the final leg of high-speed internet installation between the internet service provider and the customer, whether it be family households, businesses or community anchor institutions like schools, fire stations, libraries and post offices. Once installation is complete, the households, businesses and institutions have the option to connect to the network by becoming a customer of the internet service provider.
In February, Governor Ivey awarded $148.3 million in Capital Projects Fund grants for broadband accessibility in more than two-thirds of the state’s 67 counties. The grants awarded today are from the remaining funds.
The Capital Projects Fund program is supported by the state’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. It is one of several sources of funds to expand high-speed internet services to Alabamians
The Alabama Digital Expansion Division, which is part of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and was created by legislation signed by Governor Ivey, has been instrumental in the state’s broadband expansion.
“Our state and so many partners are making continued progress in providing high-speed internet access to those unserved areas in Alabama,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “I remain honored in the trust that Governor Ivey and the Alabama Legislature have placed in ADECA in carrying out this mission that will truly change lives for the better.”
Those awarded grants (listed alphabetically) and coverage areas are:
- Central Alabama Electric Cooperative - $2.28 million to provide high-speed internet service over a 40-mile area in Chilton County providing access to 1,046 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions.
- Connect Holding (Brightspeed) - $139,968 to provide high-speed internet to 315 unserved households and businesses over a 51-mile area in Mobile County.
- Connect Holding (Brightspeed) - $69,553 to provide high-speed broadband access to 249 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions over a 19-mile area in Baldwin County.
- Farmers Telecommunications Corp. - $1.93 million to provide high-speed broadband access to 380 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions over a 44-mile area in Jackson County.
- Innovations America (Bama Fiber) - $5 million to provide high-speed internet access to 3,261 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in Randolph County over a 360-mile area.
- Mediacom - $720,905 to provide high-speed internet accessibility to 122 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in a 10-mile area of Mobile County.
- Millry Telephone Co. - $2.84 million to provide 51 miles of high-speed internet accessibility to 236 unserved households and businesses in Washington County.
- Spectrum Southeast - $5 million to provide high-speed internet accessibility over a 110-mile area to 934 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in Shelby County.
- Spectrum Southeast - $5 million to provide 105 miles of high-speed internet accessibility to 1,303 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in Walker County.
- Spectrum Southeast - $4.43 million to provide high-speed internet accessibility to 662 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in a 93-mile area in Colbert and Lauderdale counties.
- Spectrum Southeast - $5 million to provide 111 miles of high-speed internet accessibility for 1,017 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in St. Clair County.
- Roanoke Telephone Co. - $912,171 to supply high-speed internet accessibility over 111 miles to cover 1,118 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in Randolph County.
- Troy Cablevision (C Spire) - $5 million to provide high-speed internet to 2,132 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in Baldwin, Coffee, Crenshaw, Covington, Houston and Pike counties covering 243 miles.
- Yellowhammer Networks - $3.63 million to provide high-speed internet over nearly 1,000 miles to provide access to 2,352 unserved households, businesses and community anchor institutions in Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Shelby and Sumter counties.
These projects are being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number CPFFN0162 awarded to the State of Alabama by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.
