Expanding access to reliable, high-speed internet has long been a priority for rural communities, but the coronavirus pandemic made the task even more urgent. Children and families without internet access have found themselves severely disadvantaged as schools are implementing mandatory online classes and doctors are shifting more of their services online. People in rural communities without broadband access cannot afford to wait for service.
New York Utility Lands $7.4M FCC Grant to Expand Broadband
Otsego Electric Cooperative announced that it had gotten a funding commitment from the Federal Communications Commission s Rural Development Opportunity Fund to help expand its infrastructure into unserved and underserved areas. by Greg Klein, The Daily Star / February 23, 2021 Shutterstock/Breitformat
(TNS) A local utility company announced last week that it will be making another expansion to its rural broadband Internet services, thanks to a $7.4 million federal grant.
Otsego Electric Cooperative announced Friday, Feb. 19, that its OEConnect service had gotten a funding commitment from the Federal Communications Commission s Rural Development Opportunity Fund. The grant will provide $7.4 million to expand existing infrastructure farther into unserved and underserved locations in Otsego, Herkimer and Madison counties.
U.S. SENATE â U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced Montana will receive more than $125 million to expand high-speed internet access to more than 45,000 locations across rural Montana.
The funds are available through the Federal Communications Commissionâs Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and will be allocated to providers to help close the digital gap and deliver high-speed internet service to unserved homes and businesses. Tester will now work to hold the companies receiving funds accountable through his role on the Senate Commerce Committee.
âFast, reliable internet service is critical, especially as we continue working, learning, and socializing from home,â Tester said. But too many folks in Montana have slow, unreliable internet or donât have access altogether, and this groundbreaking investment will help bring those homes and businesses into the 21st century. Now itâs time to roll up our sleeves and make sure these resources are deployed qui