The Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) has approved $21.6 million for nine broadband expansion projects that collectively will provide access to about 12,300 households. The Capital Projects Fund (CPF) is funding the projects, which includes funding for national companies like AT&T and Comcast.
The announcements means that BEAM has approved $91.7 million for 33 broadband projects aimed at providing access to about 39,300 households in Mississippi funded by CPF. Going forward, BEAM will approve projects for $70.3 million in CPF funds.
“Mississippi continues to make incredible progress in expanding broadband access all across our state,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “It’s a critical piece of infrastructure, and we’re working hard to ensure that every Mississippian has access to it.”
The Mississippi broadband funding recipients include:
- ACE Fiber: Blue Springs/SE Union County
- ACE Fiber: Blue Mountain to New Albany
- ACE Fiber: Potts Camp to Myrtle
- AT&T: Leake County (Sebastapol/Conway/Bertice areas)
- AT&T: Marshall County (Mahon/Waites/Laws Hill areas)
- CSpire: Southwest (Columbia/Summit/Osyka/Liberty/Gloster)
- CSpire: Central (Puckett/Magee/Mendenhall/Madison)
- Comcast: Statewide Line Extension (Jackson area/Laurel/Hattiesburg areas)
- TVEPA: NE (Yalobusha County/Water Valley)
This is the second award by the CPF. In June, nine providers — AT&T, Comcast, C Spire, Conexon, DE Fastlink, Delta Fiber, Franklin Telephone, Swyft Connect, and Uplink — were awarded $70.9 million for 24 broadband projects. In all, the companies will provide access to broadband to approximately 27,000 households in 19 counties.
BEAM is busy. It is overseeing $32 million from the Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) projects and $10.7 million State Digital Skills and Accessibility grant. It will also administer Mississippi’s $1.2 billion in funding provided by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Last October, Telecompetitor discussed broadband funding in general and the CPF in particular with BEAM Director Sally Dotty. She said that Mississippi got a total of $151.5 million in broadband funding. It is being used for three programs: One aimed at large-scale projects, one at line extensions and at community-based broadband projects.
Doty said the line extension program was undersubscribed — she called it a surprise — and that some of the money was shifted to the large-scale projects program.
More news about broadband expansion in Mississippi can be found on the state’s Broadband Nation webpage.
