Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced that she has awarded $24.7 million in grants to expand broadband services throughout Alabama.
The money was divided into nine grants and was awarded to broadband providers across the state to support projects in unserved or underserved areas of Alabama. The completed projects will enable nearly 20,000 households, businesses, and community anchors to access high-speed internet.
“Broadband continues to be a top priority of my administration, and as we continue to move into these next four years, we’re taking our broadband journey with us,” said Gov Ivey in a statement. “The projects underway reach across the state and will allow better access to opportunities in education, health care, business, and other normalcies of life. Broadband is vital infrastructure, and our map continues to light up. I am pleased to support these transformative projects as we work toward achieving high-speed internet availability for every Alabamian.”
While the state is paying companies to expand broadband, the broadband service is not free for consumers. Households and businesses must still pay for connecting to the service. The expansion will also provide additional links to make it more feasible to supply future broadband service within those areas.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) administers the Broadband Accessibility Fund grants from state government funds allocated by the Legislature. Funds are issued through ADECA’s Alabama Digital Expansion Division, which was created by legislation Ivey signed into law in 2021 to focus on broadband expansion in Alabama.
“ADECA is honored to be administering this program that will improve the lives of so many Alabamians,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “It is our goal to carry out our duties with this program efficiently and effectively and in the best manner conceivable so that we reach as many Alabamians as possible.”
Including the grants announced today, Governor Ivey has awarded Broadband Accessibility Fund grants totaling $88.6 million to support 109 projects across Alabama since the fund’s start in 2018. The state also receives hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds for broadband expansion through the CARES Act, American Rescue Plan Act, a bipartisan infrastructure bill, and the omnibus spending bill.
The grants awarded and affected areas are:
Cullman Electric Cooperative – $4.58 million to provide broadband access for 1,356 households, businesses, and community anchors in parts of Cullman, Morgan, and Winston counties.
Spectrum Southeast – $351,119 to provide broadband services for 715 households, businesses, and anchors near Double Springs and Lynn in Winston County.
Spectrum Southeast – $2.45 million to provide broadband service access for 2,204 households, businesses, and community anchors near Coaling, Vance, and Woodstock in Tuscaloosa County.
Spectrum Southeast – $1.02 million to provide broadband accessibility for up to 2,482 households, businesses, and anchors in the vicinities of Brent, Centreville, Vance, West Blocton, and Woodstock in Bibb County.
Spectrum Southeast – $2.92 million to provide broadband service in the areas of Calera, Columbiana, Montevallo, Westover, and Wilsonville in Shelby County, with the potential to affect 4,412 households, businesses, and community anchors.
Mediacom– $4.05 million to provide broadband service connectivity for 1,756 households, businesses, and community anchors in northwest Baldwin County and southwest Escambia County between Bay Minette and Atmore.
Mediacom – $2.91 million to provide internet access affecting 1,895 households, businesses, and community anchors in an area near the city of Robertsdale in Baldwin County.
Mediacom- $3.11 million to provide access for 2,824 households, businesses, and community anchors near the communities of Grand Bay and Wilmer in Mobile County.
Mediacom- $3.31 million to provide broadband service availability for 1,715 households, businesses, and community anchors near Mount Vernon in Mobile County.
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