Internet service providers or I-S-Ps in a pair of southeast Kansas counties are among those receiving funding through the Broadband Acceleration Grant program to improve high speed broadband access for rural communities.
Governor Laura Kelly made the announcement this week, calling affordable broadband access critical for rural communities to stay vibrant and competitive regardless of their zip code.
KwiKom in Montgomery county received about $1.5 million in grant money and another $1.5 million in matching funds while IdeaTek in Greenwood county received $880,000 with another $1.8 million in matching funds. The money should help connect 223 premises in Montgomery county and another 1,500 in Greenwood.
Initiated in 2020, the Broadband Acceleration Grant is a 10-year, $85 million program designed to bring essential internet access to Kansas communities. Administered by the Kansas Office of Broadband Development and funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), this latest round of grants brings the program’s total investment for broadband infrastructure since 2020 to more than $31.5 million.
