Kansas’ State Finance Council OKs $60 Million in grants for broadband boost

The State Finance Council approved $60 million in grants to better beef up the state’s broadband infrastructure, although lawmakers acknowledge it won’t fully address the scope of the problem in rural Kansas. The money will come from the state’s allotment of federal CARES Act funding and will be funneled out in two separate grant programs. One, a $50 million pot, will aim to bolster internet speeds in underserved areas, while the remaining $10 million is designed to specifically help low-income residents. The Kansas Broadband Map, released in 2019 by Connected Nation, showed that 3.5% of the state’s population, or 90,000 residents, lack internet access. The effort will focus on internet service providers working on projects that could be finished by year’s end, when federal CARES Act money must be spent.