MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey announced $365,158 in Appalachian Regional Commission grants to help improve broadband internet coverage in three rural Alabama municipalities.
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative will use grant funds of $200,000 to purchase and install two nodes to distribute data communications through 119 miles of new fiber optic cable in Bear Creek and Haleyville.
A $165,000 grant to the Courtland Historical Foundation will enable the town to purchase and install equipment needed to establish wireless broadband service, which will allow for broadband signal to be broadcast over a wireless network utilizing existing structures for the antenna locations. The town anticipates 20 businesses and 2,000 homes will be able to receive wireless broadband access from the new system.
“Broadband availability is becoming vital to commerce, emergency services, health care and other essential services in all parts of Alabama,” Ivey said. “These upgrades and improvements will help increase access to affordable high-speed internet and improve quality of life for residents living in Bear Creek, Haleyville and Courtland.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama along with a wide range of other programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management. Thirty-seven counties in Alabama are part of the ARC region and eligible for funds.
“ADECA supports Gov. Ivey in her efforts to expand broadband access, especially in rural areas,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “The partnership between the state and the ARC will assist these local projects to expand high-speed internet service to more residents.”
The ARC is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments. The agency’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.
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Contact: Russell Sellers, Mike Presley