Charter Wants $35M for Builds, Louisiana Getting $29.9M for Broadband, Indiana County Approves $1M Grant

April 12, 2022 – Charter Communications submitted three grant proposals totaling over $35 million for broadband expansion projects in three counties in Tennessee, according to reporting done by Fierce Telecom.

The biggest proposal is for a $21-million grant that would help deliver gigabit-capable internet to nearly 4,300 locations across Henderson County. Charter would provide $12.9 million of its own funds for the build.

Another proposal, a $12.25 million grant request and a proposed $5 million investment from Charter, would bring high-speed internet to more than 3,100 locations in Sevier County.

The third proposal is a $2.3 million request with a $4 million investment from Charter to provide broadband access to over 1,300 locations in Bradley County.

The grants would come from the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund, which is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Louisiana getting millions for broadband infrastructure

Senator Bill Cassidy announced Monday a $29.9 million grant on Monday to build broadband infrastructure in several parishes in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.

The grant, which comes from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will build broadband infrastructure in Evangeline, Acadia and St. Landry Parishes.

Cassidy also visited with town and elected officials along with the Acadiana Planning Commission at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse, according to reporting done by Acadiana’s Newschannel.

Vice President Kamala Harris was in St. Landry Parish last month and as part of her efforts to promote the work done by the Biden administration to expand high speed broadband in rural areas. While there, she also announced funding broadband in several parishes in Acadiana

County commissioners approve $1 million grant for broadband

On Monday, Johnson County commissioners in Indiana approved a $1 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act for a local internet company.

The company, JCFiber, came to the joint ARPA committee in February with a request for $2 million to expand its service areas to give underserved county residents more internet options, according to the Daily Journal. The project would create a partnership between the county and JCFiber to provide broadband service to the 3,000 to 4,000 underserved residents in the county.

The funds available in the American Rescue Plan Act can be used for broadband investments, particularly those focused on low-income neighborhoods in urban areas.