Nebraska County Undertakes Broadband Expansion Work

A $10 million project to bring broadband to rural areas of Lancaster County (NE) is underway, thanks to federal stimulus dollars earmarked by Lancaster County commissioners for the project. The project will install 175 miles of conduit throughout Lancaster County to and between the 12 incorporated cities and villages, and 10 unincorporated communities, according to county officials. Once that's done, telecommunications companies will lease the conduit from the county to install fiber technology to bring services to residents and businesses. In January 2022, the County Board committed $10 million of its federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to expand broadband infrastructure in rural Lancaster County — a need the pandemic highlighted nationwide. The county got $62 million and the city $46 million from the ARPA— a $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package. The city and county worked together to allocate the money for a variety of programs, and the County Board prioritized the broadband project based on input from the community.