to Invest Line Extension Grant Funding in Rural Fiber Expansion Projects | News
Summary
Arvig has been awarded grant funding from the Minnesota Office of Broadband Developments Broadband Line Extension Connection Program to construct last-mile fiber network infrastructure for high-speed internet to 69 unserved locations.Arvig was awarded grants totaling $543,244 from the program after submitting successful lowest-cost bids to provide fiber to the locations. Arvig expects to exceed that requirement, with plans to provide locations access to speeds of up to 1 Gig download and 100Mbps upload. Interest from the local community is the first step in getting fiber expansion projects like these going.The Line Extension Connection program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), was created to bridge the gap in connecting homes and businesses just out of reach of existing last-mile infrastructure.Created in 2022 with a budget of $15 million, the program invites residents and business owners to submit applications if they lack a wired connection with access to internet speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, which is considered unserved. Internet service providers then bid on the applications and are awarded grant funding based on the number of successful bids.More information about how to apply for the program is available at https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/extension. Committed to delivering cutting-edge technology to customers throughout the region, Arvig provides residential and business internet, television, phone, and security services.