Florida Construction News staff writer
The Broadband Opportunity Grant Program has awarded $144 million for 58 projects in 41 Florida counties for broadband internet expansion that will impact nearly 160,000 unserved residential, educational, business, and community locations.
“I am proud to be in Santa Rosa County to announce the first awards through Florida’s Broadband Opportunity Program,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “Broadband internet access creates jobs and enhances educational opportunities for Floridians.
“I look forward to continued investments through this program to ensure Florida families have access to important resources no matter where they live.”
Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the Broadband Opportunity Program funds the installation and deployment of broadband internet infrastructure.
Some of the largest grants will go to:
- Bonifay was awarded $5 million to expand service to rural area of Holmes County, north of Bonifay.
- Bell, Cross City, and Horseshoe Beach will share $3.5 million to complete the first of three phases of a project.
- Trenton will receive $2.7 million for expansions in Gilchrist County.
- City of Archer; Town of Micanopy – $4.7 million to add 132 miles of fiber optic cable to existing network in Alachua.
- Town of Cross City – $5 million for fiber optic cable and infrastructure to provide fiber to the home services to 1,067 unserved locations within Dixie
- City of Live Oak; Towns of Mayo and Day – $5 million for 1,016 miles of fiber optic cable in Suwannee and Lafayette Counties