Alabama invests $150 million in broadband expansion across 48 counties

Governor Kay Ivey announced today that close to $150 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury has been allocated to sixteen Alabama internet service providers for the purposes of expanding high speed internet into portions of 48 counties in the state.

“High-speed internet service continues to strengthen and expand across the state, and we are taking the necessary strides on this journey to achieve full broadband access for Alabama,” said Ivey. “This has been a monumental task, but it is one that will pay multiple dividends for our state and its residents.”

“Today is an exciting day as we announce these latest projects.”

These “last mile” projects will lay 5,000 miles of broadband infrastructure to provide access to almost 54,000 households, businesses, hospitals, schools, and libraries across 48 Alabama counties.

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ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell, whose agency will be distributing the funds, said that they will have a major effect on the availability of high speed internet in several places previously unserved throughout Alabama.

“This has been a remarkable journey made possible by Governor Ivey, the Alabama Legislature, the state’s internet service providers and so many other willing and eager participants,” said Boswell. “Once completed, these projects announced today will provide access for thousands of Alabamians.”

Those awarded grants from the Capital Project Fund are listed along with their areas of service and the amount of potential households and/or businesses that they stand to improve with the implementation of broadband:

• AT&T Southeast – Five grants totaling $6.97 million to expand broadband services in Franklin, Jefferson, Mobile, Morgan and Russell counties. The expansion has the potential to reach more than 1,871 households and businesses.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative– Seven grants totaling $21.94 million to expand broadband services in areas of Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas and Elmore counties. The service area includes more than 6,000 potential households and businesses.
• Connect Holding (Brightspeed)- Two grants totaling $388,061 to expand broadband services in Pickens and St. Clair counties. The projects have the potential to reach 479 households and businesses.
• Coosa Valley Technologies Inc. – Six grants totaling $12.57 million for expanded broadband services in Calhoun, Etowah, Shelby and Talladega counties. The service area includes more than 974 potential households and businesses.
• Cullman Electric Cooperative- One grant totaling $4.1 million to provide broadband services in areas of Cullman and Winston counties. The expansion has the potential to reach 1,979 households and businesses.
• Farmers Telecommunications Corp. – Two grants totaling $7.29 million to expand broadband services in DeKalb County with the potential to serve more than 1,600 households and businesses.
• Knology (WOW!) – One grant totaling $2.39 million to expand broadband services in parts of Henry and Houston counties. The expansion has the potential to reach about 970 households and businesses.
• Mediacom – Eight projects totaling $22.8 million to provide broadband services in parts of Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe and Mobile counties. The project areas include almost 8,000 households and businesses.
• Millry Telephone Co. Inc. – One grant totaling $3.6 million to expand broadband services in parts of Washington County. The expansion has the potential to reach 988 new households and businesses.
• Pea River Electric Cooperative – One grant totaling $5 million to expand broadband services in parts of Barbour and Henry counties. The expansion has the potential to reach 1,529 new households and businesses.
• Pine Belt Telephone Co. – Four grants totaling $3 million to provide additional broadband services in Clarke and Marengo counties with the potential to reach more than 480 new households and businesses.
• R.M. Greene Inc. – One grant totaling $2.85 million for broadband expansion in parts of Barbour and Russell counties that will reach more than 680 new households and businesses.
• Spectrum Southeast – 23 grants totaling $44.83 million to provide broadband services in parts of Bibb, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cleburne, Coosa, Colbert, Cullman, Elmore, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Houston, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa counties. The service areas include 22,000 potential households and businesses.
• Tombigbee Electric Cooperative– One grant totaling $2.78 million to provide broadband services in parts of Winston County. The service area includes 1,584 potential households and businesses.
• Troy Cablevision (C Spire) – One grant totaling $1.65 million to expand broadband services in Dale and Houston counties. There are nearly 700 potential households and businesses in that service area.
• Yellowhammer Networks – Two grants totaling $5.13 million to provide broadband services in Bibb, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry and Sumter counties. The project areas include almost 3,700 households and businesses.

Today’s announcement of the “last mile” projects follows a February 5th announcement by  Ivey regarding $188 million in grants being set aside for the Alabama Anchor Institution/Middle Mile program.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.