Kansas Department of Commerce

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland (D-KS) announced $10 million is available to enhance broadband infrastructure statewide through the Broadband Acceleration Grant program.

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced the release of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2. As part of the planning process, the public is invited to submit comments on the planning document.

The Kansas Office of Broadband Development submitted the state’s comprehensive Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan (FYAP) to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced that $44.5 million will be awarded to nine service providers to extend high-speed internet to 18,468 locations in 15 underserved counties across the state. This is the third and final award phase of the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Broadband Infrastructure Program. The CPF program provides funding to make broadband connections in critical areas of the state that lack access to high-speed internet.

The Capital Project Fund program was developed to bring broadband infrastructure that will deliver speeds that meet or exceed symmetrical speeds of 100 Mbps to unserved areas across Kansas.  All locations within the census blocks being served and funded through this program will be required to adhere to minimum speeds listed above.  Fiber-optic infrastructure projects that focus on achieving last-mile connections will be prioritized.

Kansas Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland announced that Jade Piros de Carvalho will serve as the new Director of the Office of Broadband Development. Jade Piros de Carvalho is a seasoned broadband executive with experience in government affairs, community relations, business development and marketing for the Kansas-based rural broadband provider, IdeaTek. Along with managing advocacy efforts for broadband expansion policy, Piros de Carvalho also spearheaded digital equity efforts for the company.