Frontier plans to connect more than 700 homes and businesses to fiber broadband service in rural Knox County, Illinois. The project is possible through a $6.5 million grant that Frontier received from the Illinois Office of Broadband through Connect Illinois.
In addition, the Knox County Board committed $1.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to Frontier’s fiber network expansion, according to the Frontier announcement.
“This grant helps expand fiber connectivity in rural Knox County, an important investment in our community’s future,” said Jared Hawkinson, chairman of the Knox County Board. “We’re excited that Knox County’s partnership with Frontier will connect homes and businesses to fast, reliable fiber internet that will improve everyday life and open up new possibilities for our community.”
Knox County is located in central Illinois and home to an estimated 50,000 people; Frontier said the planned work reinforces its commitment to bringing high-speed broadband to unserved and underserved communities.
“Our Connect Illinois grant and partnership with Knox County will allow us to advance our [broadband] build to meet the critical connectivity needs of rural residents and businesses,” said Frontier Chief Network Officer Veronica Bloodworth. “We are dedicated to bringing the people of Knox County the high-speed fiber internet they need to succeed in the digital economy. That’s what Frontier’s purpose, Building Gigabit America, is all about.”
Frontier, which calls itself the largest pure-play fiber provider in the U.S., has 1.7 million fiber broadband customers, according to its website.
The Connect Illinois broadband investment is a component of the 2019 Rebuild Illinois infrastructure program and the state’s five-year economic plan. It has $400 million appropriated for competitive broadband grants. Frontier said it has now been awarded more than $32 million in Connect Illinois broadband grant funding this year.
Frontier was also part of a broader Connect Illinois broadband award of $328 million made to 21 providers, announced earlier this year, to deploy broadband to areas lacking high-speed service.
