New $1.9 Million Grant Expands Broadband in Rural Tennessee

(TNS) — Almost 1,200 new homes and businesses will have broadband internet access available in the future, thanks to the latest round of state Broadband accessibility grants announced last week.

The latest grant announcement brings the total value of broadband grants awarded in Cumberland County to more than $20 million in the past year, representing new service availability to more than 9,000 homes and businesses.

"It's amazing to see how far we've come from just a few years ago," Cumberland County Mayor  Allen Foster  said.

The grant, awarded to VolFirst Services, a subsidiary of Ben Lomand Telephone, will serve areas along Hwy. 70 N. from around Eureka Dr. to just past Plateau Rd., an area off Genesis Rd. north of I-40, and a section stretching from west of Hwy. 127 N. east to the area of Hyder Loop along Potato Farm Rd.

When Foster was running for office in 2018, he kept talking to residents who had problems with their internet service. Some people found out only after moving that no internet provider served their neighborhood. Others struggled with slow download speeds far below the standard for broadband internet — defined as a minimum speed of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload.

Foster said he began working with providers to help them see the need for better service in the county. What Foster found was that Cumberland County did not qualify for federal and state grants because service maps showed most of the county had high-speed internet access.

" Cumberland County providers weren't eligible to apply," Foster said. "We had to prove the service was not meeting the standard for high-speed service."

The data for maps was self-reported by providers. It also divided the county by census blocks. If one household in the census block had broadband-level service, the entire block was considered served with that speed.

In 2019, Foster launched a survey asking people to share their internet speed tests. He found inadequate service was a countywide problem. Service providers were able to use Foster's survey to challenge service maps and apply for grants.

The work yielded results last year when the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded Ben Lomand a $2.24 million grant to expand access to internet service to about 100 square miles in rural Cumberland County.

A few months later, the company received a $2 million grant for broadband expansion in the northern portion of Cumberland County.

In August, Volunteer Energy Cooperative and Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative received a $3.3 million grant to expand service in the Cumberland Cove area of Cumberland County. That funding came from COVID-19 relief funds.

Last October, Ben Lomand received a $1.9 million grant for a project to serve 152 homes in the southwestern portion of Cumberland County south of Pleasant Hill.

Last month, Charter Communications was awarded $4.8 million in federal grants to expand service to 6,000 homes in the county.

With grants awarded, it will take time for providers to extend the lines to serve the new areas, Foster said. He expects people will begin seeing trucks and crews out working soon.

"It will take some time, but help is on the way," Foster said.

Looking ahead, there are still areas that need better service, Foster said.

"Some of those areas will be backfilled as the providers build out the network," he said. "Others, we'll work with them on applying for grants next year."

Gov.  Bill Lee  proposed $200 million in broadband access grants for next year.

"Every Tennessean should have access to the same high-speed broadband, no matter what ZIP code they live in," Lee said at the announcement of about $15 million in state broadband accessibility grants. "Our continued investment in internet connectivity will help level the playing field for rural communities across our state, and I thank these 13 providers for partnering with us to help nearly 18,000 more Tennesseans get connected."

The grants require matching funds from service providers.

According to the FCC's 2020 Broadband Deployment Report, one in six rural Tennesseans lack access to broadband service. The state has awarded nearly $60 million in grants since 2018 to serve more than 33,000 homes and businesses.

Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative also received a $727,955.56 grant to expand service in parts of Bledsoe County.

"I am delighted that so many homes in our rural communities will be connected through this grant program," said state Sen.  Paul Bailey , who has supported funding for the program in the Tennessee General Assembly. "Broadband is becoming increasingly important to the way students are educated, medical services are provided, government services are delivered, and business is conducted. In addition, broadband is essential as we work to create high quality jobs for our citizens."

"Government partnering with the private sector to fill the gaps is paramount to ensuring broadband services are deployed effectively," Bailey added. "I look forward to continue seeing many more of our homes connected in the near future."

"The pandemic has highlighted the need for reliable, high speed internet services, as well as the flexibility these services can provide to our homes, schools, businesses, and healthcare providers," said Speaker  Cameron Sexton , who represents Cumberland County in the House of Representatives. "This new investment of $1.9 million through the state's broadband accessibility grant program is in addition to the nearly $21.3 million in state and federal funding already announced and allocated for local projects in Cumberland County since 2020. The total investment of $23.2 million significantly enhances our broadband infrastructure so we can meet the demands or our growing community; I appreciate  Gov. Lee , our Department of Economic & Community Development,  Sen. Bailey  and all of our local leaders for their commitment and their partnership as we continue to work together to address this important issue in the Upper Cumberland region."

(c)2021 the Crossville Chronicle (Crossville, Tenn.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.