NCFL communities get millions in funding for rural broadband

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB) - The Broadband Opportunity Program is connecting rural parts of North Central Florida to high-speed internet. The state announced $60 million in awards on Friday.

Several towns in Levy and Dixie counties, as well as the cities of Starke and Hampton in Bradford County, are getting $5 million for new fiber optic cable. Trenton and Fanning Springs are getting nearly $5 million, and the town of Williston gets $25,000.

People in Marion Oaks, Ocklawaha, and Silver Springs will benefit from nearly $2.5 million. Rainbow Lakes Estates will get nearly $1.5 million in funding.

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“Small and rural communities across the state will be able to connect to fast, reliable broadband Internet at their home or business and can take advantage of the opportunities that accompany broadband internet connectivity,” said Department of Economic Opportunity Acting Secretary, Meredith Ivey.

The Broadband Opportunity Program was created by Florida Legislature and appropriated $400 million in federally funded State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to increase access to reliable, affordable, and high-speed internet service within the state. The funds are part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

The following projects will be awarded through the Broadband Opportunity Program:

• Southeast Arcadia ($4,997,588) — to add 13 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 497 unserved locations within DeSoto County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 gigabyte per second (GB).
• Cities of Cedar Key and Chiefland, Towns of Otter Creek and Inglis, and Unincorporated Communities of Gulf Hammock, Old Town, Rosewood, Summer and Suwannee ($5,000,000) — to add 1,096.91 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,238 unserved locations within Dixie and Levy Counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Hampton and Starke ($5,000,000) — to add 89 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 960 unserved locations within Bradford County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Unincorporated Communities of Marion Oaks, Ocklawaha and Silver Springs ($2,428,013) — to add 122.12 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,061 unserved locations within Marion County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Unincorporated Community of Rainbow Lake Estates ($1,043,858) — to add 49.17 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 668 unserved locations within Marion County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Okeechobee and Sebring; Unincorporated Community of Lorida ($5,000,000) — to add 795 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,195 unserved locations within Highlands and Okeechobee Counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Towns of Jay and Pine Level; Unincorporated Communities of Berrydale, Brownsdale, Dixonville, Mount Carmel, Munson, Springhill, Walnut Hill and Whitfield ($2,615,434.62) — to add 1,015 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,193 unserved locations within Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• City of Mascotte; Town of Astatula; Unincorporated Communities of Astor and Astor Park ($2,007,768) — to add 71.94 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,272 unserved locations within Lake County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Unincorporated Communities of NE and NW Citrus County ($1,245,500) — to add 310.9 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 4,982 unserved locations within Citrus County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Bowling Green and Wauchula; Town of Zolfo Springs; Unincorporated Community of Charlie Creek; Central and Northern Hardee County ($2,098,642) — to add 165.10 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,664 unserved locations within Hardee County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Eustis, Groveland, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Tavares and Umatilla; Town of Astatula; Unincorporated Communities of Altoona, Lake Kathryn Lake Mack-Forrest Hills and Paisley ($1,800,250) — to add 341.3 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 7,201 unserved locations within Lake County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Unincorporated Manatee County and Unincorporated Communities of Duette, Parrish, Rubonia and Willow ($1,550,553) — to add 42 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 261 unserved locations within Manatee County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Town of Mcintosh, Reddick and Zuber; Unincorporated Communities of Anthony, Blitchton, Citra, East Williston, Ematha, Evinston, Fairfield, Irvine, Lowell, Martin, Orange Lake, Spar and York ($2,980,000) — to add 701.1 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 11,920 unserved locations within Marion County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Frostproof, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales, Lakeland and Polk City; Unincorporated Polk County and the Unincorporated Community of Indian Lakes Estates ($1,799,853) — to add 204 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 2,440 unserved locations within Polk County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Bartow, Fort Meade, Frostproof and Mulberry; Towns of Bradley and Brewster; Unincorporated Polk County and the Unincorporated Community of Homeland ($2,321,388) — to add 103 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 853 unserved locations within Polk County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Bushnell and Webster; Unincorporated Communities of Croom-A-Coochee, Lake Panasoffkee, Linden, Tarrytown and The Villages ($604,000) — to add 126.7 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 310 unserved locations within Sumter County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• City of Labelle and Unincorporated Communities of Felda, Fort Denaud and Port Labelle ($4,916,800) — to add 261.2 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 1,128 unserved locations within Hendry County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 megabits per second (Mbps).
• Cities of Bowling Green and Wauchula; Town of Zolfo Springs; Unincorporated Communities of Limestone, Gardner and Ona ($5,000,000) — to add 618 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 6,071 unserved locations within Hardee County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.
• City of Valparaiso ($207,087.49) — to add 15.14 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 174 unserved locations within Okaloosa County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.
• Cities of Trenton and Fanning Springs ($4,948,800) — to add 100 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 1,981 unserved locations within Gilchrist County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.
• City of Williston ($25,000) — to add 20 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 1,000 unserved locations within Levy County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.
• Cities of Chipley and Vernon; Towns of Wausau and Caryville ($2,493,000) — to add 616 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 9,904 unserved locations within Washington County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

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