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A broadband governing board in Oklahoma has voted to approve scores of broadband projects in dozens of counties, representing a large step towards connectivity in the state.
Over 55,000 Oklahomans homes and businesses are expected to benefit from 142 broadband projects that were approved last week by the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board.
The investment, which is the first of its kind according to the Oklahoma Broadband Office, will fund broadband expansion projects in 57 counties and utilizes $374 million in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds.
Governor Kevin Stitt (R) said he was proud of the broadband office for approving the historic investment.
“Expanding rural broadband has been a top priority of my administration, and we’ve set an ambitious goal to cover 95% of Oklahoma with high-speed, reliable internet by 2028,” he said in comments included with a Jan. 26 announcement from the Oklahoma Broadband Office. “From education to business, securing reliable internet in every corner of our state is a necessity. And as we look to expand Oklahoma’s footprint in the AI industry, closing the digital divide has never been more important.”
Over $90 million in matching funds were also contributed to the slate of projects from 31 internet service providers (ISPs), the Oklahoma Broadband Office stated.
Jim Meek, the chair of the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board, said his board received hundreds of applications that amounted to over $5.1 billion in funding requests.
“Governor Stitt and the (Oklahoma) Legislature’s vision to make broadband service available statewide is clearly taking root,” he said. “I commend the board for its dedication and the broadband office staff for its expertise in bringing to fruition this historic first grant program to bridge the digital divide.”
According to the Oklahoma Broadband Office, all proposals were reviewed and scored before final decisions were made based on a board-approved set of criteria.
The Oklahoma Broadband Office also announced that $159 million will be awarded in the next round of grant funding, which will further fund high-speed internet builds, using money from the ARPA Capital Projects Fund.
Projects approved by the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board last week will have to be completed by the end of 2026, the agency’s announcement said.
