The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) has awarded a grant of $29 million to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to enlarge broadband access in rural communities and enhance flood monitoring systems across central Texas.
“This grant helps us do two important things at once,” LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said in a press release.
“We can make LCRA’s fiber network accessible to internet providers who want to serve rural customers, and we can expand connectivity for flood monitoring systems across the region. We already have the infrastructure in place that can be expanded to meet the growing demand. Now we’re putting it to work for both broadband access and public safety.”
The grant has three goals:
- Improve network access points to enable broadband providers to more easily and affordably connect to LCRA’s fiber backbone and pass savings on to customers.
- Upgrade and expand tower sites and connectivity for flood-monitoring stations.
- Extend fiber capacity into rural areas where coverage gaps remain, boosting local economies and improving access to essential services.
The grant was made possible by legislation promulgated in 2021. Senate Bill 632 authorizes LCRA to develop and operate middle-mile broadband projects to confront the digital divide in rural Texas. The legislation enables LCRA to build and operate the core fiber network and allows private broadband providers to deliver services to homes, businesses and institutions, according to the press release.
Broadband is about to get a boost in The Lone Star State. In November, Texas received approval of its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The approved proposal was finalized at $1.26 billion.
Additional information about Texas broadband, including state funding resources, BEAD news, awards made, state-specific coverage, and more may be found on the Telecompetitor Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
