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Alabama is continuing to build on momentum to close the state’s digital divides.
Spectrum, which currently serves over 650,000 customers in Alabama, has been awarded 23 grants to expand broadband access to underserved areas of the state.
An additional 21,000 homes and businesses across Alabama will benefit from the grants, which were awarded to Spectrum by the Alabama Capital Projects Fund.
Spectrum, a suite of communications services offered by Charter Communications, said the grants have expanded the company’s rural construction initiative, which is backed by nearly $5 billion in investment, including more than $1 billion won in the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction.
The recently awarded grants to Spectrum include $9.9 million to connect more than 2,500 homes and businesses in Houston and Geneva counties, in the southeastern portion of the state near the Florida border. That project will be matched by more than $8.1 million from Spectrum, according to the company’s March 19 announcement.
Another grant, $340,000 to bring high-speed internet to 450 locations in Alabama’s Calhoun County, will be matched by nearly $2.3 million from Spectrum, a statement from the company revealed.
Meanwhile, in Butler County, nearly $5 million awarded by the Alabama Capital Projects Fund will be matched by more than $7 million from Spectrum to connect approximately 1,500 homes and businesses, the company’s release stated.
Bridging Alabama’s digital divide
Taylor Vice, the senior director of government affairs at Charter, said the company has applauded Alabama officials for helping Spectrum to bridge the state’s digital divide.
“Gov. (Kay) Ivey, her administration, and the Alabama Legislature have shown tremendous leadership in embracing public-private partnerships as a vital strategy for connecting unserved communities,” Vice said.
In total, Spectrum’s announcements said the company’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund expansion efforts will provide broadband access to 1.3 million locations across 24 states.
Comments from local Alabama legislators representing districts that will directly benefit from the projects were also included in Spectrum’s slate of announcements. Among those, state Sen. Keith Kelley, who said Alabama’s decision to partner with Spectrum in Calhoun County “will deliver the best connectivity offerings to the county’s families and small businesses.”
State Rep. Jeff Sorrells, who represents Alabama’s District 87, which includes Geneva, said broadband will allow residents and businesses to have access to opportunities that were previously unavailable.
“I’m grateful to the state for allocating additional ARPA funds for broadband, and I look forward to a productive partnership with Spectrum to expeditiously expand its network to currently unserved homes and businesses,” he said, according to Spectrum’s release.
Other communities that will see broadband expansion efforts thanks to the public-private partnership with Spectrum include locations in Talladega County, where 900 locations will be connected thanks to $4.2 million from the state, and $2.2 million from Spectrum.
Alabama’s aggressive approach to broadband expansion
The latest round of grants offered by Alabama’s Capital Projects Fund is part of the state’s aggressive efforts to expand broadband access in the state.
In Feburary, The Alabama Fiber Network, a grouping of eight electric co-ops and subsidiaries, was the biggest winner in an announcement from Alabama’s governor detailing grant awards under the Alabama Anchor Institution Middle Mile (AIMM) Grant Program.
They were one of a dozen service providers that received money to support the state’s efforts to connect “community anchor institutions” and the access needs of last-mile broadband providers, an announcement from Alabama Fiber Network stated.
Amounts for the grants awarded in Feb. ranged from $411,341, awarded to Point Broadband for a middle-mile project of 12.4 miles in Blount County, which will impact 21 anchor institutions, to $128.8 million, awarded to the Alabama Fiber Network.
The Alabama Fiber Network will install 1,776 miles of middle-mile fiber across 21 counties, connecting 438 anchor institutions, the release from the governor’s office revealed.
