Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative (PPEC) says it has received $13.2 million in federal broadband grant support to help fund a major fiber-to-the-home expansion to rural unserved segments of northeast Indiana.
According to a cooperative announcement, the co-op will receive $13.2 million in BEAD (Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment) federal grant funding from the Indiana Broadband Office, matched by $10.3 million in cooperative investment, to bring affordable fiber to thousands of unserved residents in Allen, Adams, DeKalb and Noble counties.
PPEC’s fiber network passes more than 18,600 locations in Ohio and Indiana, with the cooperative having formally launched its major expansion project last year.
"This investment will make a lasting difference for the communities we serve," PPEC CEO Randy Price said of the grant award. "Reliable, high-speed internet has become a necessity for education, healthcare, agriculture, business, and everyday life. Many of our members have waited far too long for access to dependable broadband. With support from the BEAD program, we're able to accelerate fiber deployment and deliver a long-term solution that will benefit our members and strengthen our communities well into the future.”
In deployed fiber markets, the cooperative offers symmetrical 250 megabit per second (Mbps) fiber for $60 a month; symmetrical 500 Mbps fiber for $80 a month; and symmetrical 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) fiber for $120 a month, with a variety of additional phone, Wi-Fi, and battery-backup add-on options.
PPEC says construction in Indiana is anticipated to begin in spring 2027, starting with 1,464 eligible Indiana service locations, with all targeted Indiana locations connected to fiber by spring 2029.
PPEC is one of hundreds of U.S. cooperatives that have leveraged generations of experience in rural electrification to pivot into retail and commercial fiber broadband offerings, often at speeds and prices significantly better than many entrenched regional private telecom monopolies.
"When reliable broadband was out of reach for many rural Hoosiers, Indiana's electric cooperatives took action," said John Cassady, CEO of Indiana Electric Cooperatives.
"Our cooperatives have invested in expanding high-speed internet service to rural homes, farms, schools, and businesses because these communities deserve the same opportunities as everyone else."
Inline image of Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative employee speaking with older couple courtesy of Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative website
