Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development Announces Approval of Proposal to Invest $101.6 million in Broadband Expansion

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced that the state will award $101.6 million in funding as part of the second round of broadband and digital opportunity grants. These investments will provide last-mile broadband access and digital opportunity programs to more than 97,000 Tennesseans across 75 counties. With this latest grant round, TNECD's total commitment to expanding the state's broadband infrastructure rises to $683 million, with an additional $132.6 million invested in digital opportunity initiatives, connecting more than 700,000 Tennesseans across 280,000 residential and business locations. TNECD’s $34.5 million investment in broadband infrastructure will expand high-speed internet access across 5,241 locations in six counties. Additionally, the department’s $67.1 million investment in digital opportunity grants will promote digital literacy and equip more than 3 million Tennesseans with the skills needed for high-paying virtual jobs across 66 counties.