The Superior Express -

Governor Laura Kelly said $44.5 million will be awarded to nine service providers to extend high-speed internet to 18,468 locations in 15 underserved counties across the state. This is the third and final award phase of the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Broadband Infrastructure Program. 

The CPF program provides funding to make broadband connections in critical areas of the state that lack access to high-speed internet. The $83.5 million total CPF investment, combined with almost $42 million in matching funds, will result in more than 24,500 homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and other public institutions being connected to fast, reliable internet for the first time. 

“The Capital Projects Fund represents a giant step toward getting every Kansan connected to high-speed internet,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “With this funding, we’re closer than ever to reaching our goal of making Kansas a top 10 state for broadband access by 2030.”  

The targeted counties have as few as five locations per square mile, which until now has prevented providers from investing the resources needed to deliver a quality broadband option. The CPF Grant Program provides the funding needed to implement high-speed broadband in these areas of the state. 

Demonstrating the need and critical nature of the program, the Kansas Office of Broadband Development received 141 applications for projects totaling more than $600 million. A total of 24 projects were funded.  

The grant program resulted from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan. The federal CPF program is a $10 billion capital project initiative available to states, territories, and tribal governments under the American Rescue Plan Act.  

Cunningham Communication, Mitchell County, received a grant for $1,192,735.