Missouri DED Announces Broadband Grants For Regional Recipients

The Missouri Department of Economic Development has announced $261 million dollars in ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program awards to 60 recipients in Missouri. The awards are intended to expand and improve internet access statewide.

The program awarded competitive grants to a wide range of applicants, including traditional internet providers as well as electric and telephone cooperatives. The program prioritized unserved and underserved areas. Funds will be used to build new connections that will deliver symmetrical speeds of 100 Mbps upload / 100 Mbps download or greater.

United Services, Incorporated received a grant award of $8.24 million dollars for Worth, Nodaway, Andrew, Buchanan, and Holt County service. Mid-States Services, LLC received $6.2 million dollars for Daviess County service. The Green Hills Telephone Corporation received $6.2 million for Caldwell County Service, and the Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone Company received $8.937 million dollars for the service territory of Putnam, Sullivan, and Linn Counties.

Projects receiving funds are expected to create more than 55,000 connections in locations that previously lacked adequate internet access.