Kansas

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced that $10 million has been awarded to 12 internet service providers (ISPs) in the latest round of Broadband Acceleration Grants. The awards will be paired with an additional $12.7 million in matching funds, resulting in an investment of nearly $22.7 million for high-speed broadband access projects across 14 rural Kansas counties. Initiated in 2020, the Broadband Acceleration Grant is a 10-year, $85 million program designed to bring essential internet access to Kansas communities.

More than 70,000 Kansas households lack broadband access and over 35,000 additional households’ existing service options render them “underserved.” In addition, many of Kansas’ 8,500 community anchor institutions (CAIs) lack gigabit-level broadband service that would better allow them to provide full levels of support to their communities.

Governor Laura Kelly announced that seven organizations will receive a combined $3.9 million in grants through the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) program. ADOPT supports the Kelly administration’s work to connect more Kansans to high-speed internet by making public Wi-Fi accessible and distributing devices in underserved areas. The program helps organizations serving Kansans move forward by ensuring that communities can access public Wi-Fi and the devices needed to participate in today’s technology-driven world. ADOPT grants were awarded to: 

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Kansas, Nevada and West Virginia’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Kansas’ Digital Equity plan. The Digital Equity Act, part of the Internet for All initiative and a key piece of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. The program aims to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy.

Reliable internet is a basic need for families today. For thousands that access is made possible through government support programs. One of the most important of these is the Affordable Connectivity Program or ACP, which helps bridge the digital divide significantly.

With BEAD Initial Proposals submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for review, state broadband offices (SBOs) are turning their focus to the next step in unlocking IIJA broadband funds—the Challenge Process. On a recent Broadband Breakfast webinar, I had the chance to join other SBO leaders to discuss our states’ processes.