Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Announces First Round of Awards for Texas Broadband Pole Replacement Program
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced an initial award of about $18.5 million in grant funding benefiting 17 counties across the state as part of the Texas Broadband Pole Replacement Program. This initial funding will support the deployment of broadband to rural, unserved areas by partially reimbursing grant awardees who’ve replaced more than 11,000 poles that support retail broadband services. Awardees include Bartlett Electric Cooperative, Charter Communications, United Electric Cooperative Services Inc. and MidSouth Electric Cooperative.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Says New Funding Waiver Enhances Pool of BEAD Funding Applicants
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar (R-TX) applauded the federal government’s decision to provide a waiver for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that will give potential applicants broader financing options. “I am pleased [the National Telecommunications and Information Administration] has agreed to allow alternative ways for providers to comply with this requirement of the [Notice of Funding Opportunity],” Comptroller Hegar said.
Texas Broadband Development Office Seeks Input from Public for Development of Digital Opportunity Plan
The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) is asking the public for input on internet accessibility, affordability and usage. BDO will use the Digital Opportunity Plan: Public Survey to develop a Texas Digital Opportunity Plan, which is required to draw down federal funding for connecting Texans to reliable, high-speed internet. The survey is open for approximately two months. BDO expects to complete the plan this fall.