Nevada Allocates $250 Million To Middle Mile

May 31, 2024 – Nevada’s Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology announced May 21 the allocation of $250 million toward the creation of the Nevada Middle Mile Network. 

“This significant investment will enhance internet connectivity in communities across Nevada that have struggled with inadequate internet access,” said Gov. Joe Lombardo in a statement. “By addressing these critical gaps, we are ensuring that all Nevadans have the opportunity to benefit from reliable and fast internet service.”

Director of OSIT Brian Mitchell said that the state is “working to provide every Nevadan with access to high-speed internet that is affordable, reliable, and scalable.” To do so, “Nevada requires significant investments in middle-mile infrastructure to support future last-mile residential investments. This project is a big step towards meeting our goals.”

The middle mile network will consist of 2,500 miles of open access fiber that will enable OSIT to bring high speed internet connectivity to hundreds of unserved schools, libraries, government facilities, and community anchor institutions. 

OSIT anticipates that the project will improve internet connection for more than 40,000 residential addresses in the state. This project is part of the larger High Speed Nevada Initiative, which, over the next four years, will dedicate over $900 million to broadband infrastructure and digital equity and adoption initiatives.

“The Nevada Middle Mile Network will also significantly expand network capacity between urban areas of Nevada and throughout rural regions across the state, greatly enhancing the capacity of last-mile networks to deliver affordable, high-speed Internet access to over 40,000 locations that are unserved or underserved today,” OSIT said.

Nevada was awarded $417 million through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program and it was the second stand to have its second volume of the BEAD Implementation Plan approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in April.