Last month, our administration opened the third round of the Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program for applications. With the historic $250 million allocated to this program by the Indiana General Assembly this year and the approximately $20 million in broadband funding that remains from the initial round of funding, we have roughly $270 million available for broadband expansion.
Grants can be worth up to $5 million to fund projects by telecommunication providers and utility cooperatives to get this critical 21st century infrastructure. According to a 2018 Purdue University study, our state would see an additional $12 billion of economic impact if all Hoosiers were connected, and no one was left in internet darkness.
We have already seen some successes through this program. The nearly $80 million already invested by the State of Indiana in broadband will connect more than 22,400 locations throughout 44 Hoosier counties. As I travel our great state, I’m hearing from farmers, business owners and community leaders on the impact of broadband. It includes broadband discussions in Martinsville and Paoli, and other private-public partnerships underway in White County and the 11 counties along the Indiana Toll Road. These are all different opportunities to connect Hoosiers and their families.
Farming today is a high tech and highly innovative practice that, like the rest of the working world, is relying more and more on broadband service. Hoosier farmers are at the forefront with their latest ag practices including, automative steering, seed and breeding technology and sales and marketing. But these businesses can’t function effectively without access to reliable broadband. Increasing access and reliability to Hoosier farmers everywhere encourages business expansion and efficiencies.
We know there are still those without reliable service.
At the same time, there is a way for Hoosiers across our state to help. Recently, the Indiana Farm Bureau rolled out the Indiana Speed Test to help ensure the state is taking the best steps to make cost effective planning and deployment of broadband resources. Hoosiers are encouraged to take the test, which takes less than one minute, by visiting INFB.org/speedtest. Personal information will not be collected, but the data used will help investment and deployment decisions.
These efforts and the work by our many stakeholders and partners will help close the digital divide throughout rural Indiana.
