State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Grants to improve broadband access in several parts of rural Iowa

The Gazette: DES MOINES — A federal infusion of $53.2 million in grants that four companies will use to build out high-speed broadband to nearly 90,000 unserved or underserved Iowa homes is an important step forward in allowing rural businesses and communities to compete, Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday.

Money provided via the Federal Communication Commission’s Connect America Fund (CAF) will enable CenturyLink, Windstream, Frontier and Consolidated Communications to expand broadband internet services across Iowa in areas where it was too expensive or not financially feasible for the companies to do on their own. The federal program was created in 2011 to foster growth in broadband access by transitioning funding that was supporting rural landline service to broadband service.

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