RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The state's efforts to expand access to reliable broadband to all Tennesseans by 2028 recently received a big financial boost.
Last week, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced the state was awarded $162.7 million for broadband expansion and digital opportunity grants.
Of that large sum, $25 million will be going to expand broadband access in state Senate District 14, according to Sen. Shane Reeves (R-Murfreesboro). District 14 includes parts of Rutherford County and surrounding rural areas in Cannon and Bedford counties.
"Having this kind of investment in broadband is enormous," Reeves said. "This is a giant step in the right direction."
Reeves said he recently spoke to the companies awarded these grants and expects them to begin working on expanding broadband access this summer, with hopes the project will be done in one to two years.
"I've got stories of children that are driving from out the rural community to downtown, one of the cities to go to McDonald's to do their schoolwork. There are farmers who all have their farming equipment dependent on WiFi and broadband on how they take care of their fields," he said.
Tennessee Broadband Director Taylre Beaty also said this is a significant development.
"I think this is a huge deal — (it's) a huge opportunity for us to invest in some of the most rural and hard to get to, lowest population density areas in Rutherford County and the surrounding counties," she said. "Internet service providers a lot of times have gone to those and more urban and then suburban, and then a lot of times the rural communities have gotten left out."
Reeves also said the source of the funding doesn't bother him and he doesn't know why someone wouldn't accept this money solely because it's coming from the Biden Administration's infrastructure bill.
"It would be like someone telling me that we've decided because the federal government is going to play a role in subsidizing electricity or water or roads or waste management, you're going to say, 'No, it's just a fundamental part of life,'" the Republican said.
It's a part of life that hopefully more people will be able to enjoy soon.
"It just gives us a chance to make sure that we're kind of getting to the last mile and connecting those folks who really, you know, haven't had a chance to have internet," Beaty said of the funding.
To see which areas are still lacking broadband, go to Tennessee's Broadband Accessibility Map by clicking here.
