Cooperatives and Tennessee municipal broadband projects have nabbed a respectable chunk of Tennessee's latest round of middle and last mile broadband grants.

Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) recently announced the state had awarded more than $162.7 million in broadband and digital opportunity grants, funded primarily via federal COVID relief legislation.

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TNECD indicates that $97.2 million is being earmarked for last mile and middle mile connectivity programs, with $65.5 million set aside for digital opportunity programs. The grants should extend broadband to an additional 236,000 Tennessee residents across 92 counties. Winners will provide $48 million in matching funds and must complete all projects by the end of 2026.

As is often the case, the regional telecom monopoly nabbed the lion’s share of the grants and awards, with Charter (Spectrum) being awarded more than $11.7 million for projects across Polk, Hardin, and Wayne counties. Charter was the top winner in the TNECD’s 2022 grant awards as well, nabbing $20.4 million to fund expansion across six counties.

At the same time, municipalities and cooperatives have been fairly well represented in both the 2022 and this year’s awards.

Kentucky is one of many states undergoing a baptism by fire as they jocky to take advantage of billions in historic federal broadband grants. The Kentucky Office of Broadband Development didn’t exist a year ago; now it’s tasked with identifying state broadband gaps and managing one of the most complex broadband subsidy efforts ever attempted.

All while shaking off a history of costly state boondoggles.

Kentucky officials last year announced they’d be spending more than $203 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to shore up broadband access. Now they’re preparing to spend hundreds of millions more courtesy of $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grants made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Kentucky Office of Broadband Officials have spent the last few months on a listening tour getting an earful from frustrated state residents angry about high broadband prices, spotty coverage, and sluggish speeds. Kentucky currently ranks 30th nationwide in such metrics thanks in part to monopolization by local cable and phone giants.

Like so many states, the lack of affordable, reliable broadband access was particularly notable during the Covid home education and telecommuting boom, driving a renewed interest in creative broadband deployment alternatives.

Avoiding The Sins Of The Past

Past Kentucky efforts to bridge the digital divide haven’t gone particularly well.