Indiana grants additional $189 million for broadband expansion projects

Indiana granted an additional $189 million on a third round of projects to extend broadband service to rural areas of the state. The money will fund 154 projects to provide broadband infrastructure to more than 52,900 homes and commercial locations in 80 counties. The funding comes as part of the Next Level Broadband Grant Program, which is billed as the largest single state investment in broadband. Two previous rounds of funding awarded $268 million for broadband infrastructure for more than 74,800 homes and commercial locations. The program began in 2018. At the completion of the current round of projects, broadband access will have been improved in 83 of Indiana’s 92 counties. The $189 million awarded was distributed among 35 service providers, who also contributed more than $239 million in matching funds, bringing the total investment to $429 million. Ten of the grant recipients are rural electric maintenance cooperatives (REMCs), which are member-owned nonprofit utility providers