Windstream formally announced its $8.5 million broadband funding win through Georgia’s Capital Projects Fund today.
A press release confirms the win, which Telecompetitor reported on earlier this week.
Windstream won funding for three counties. The awards are for Calhoun (1,425 locations), Echols (420 locations) and Webster (299 locations) counties. Windstream is contributing $11.2 million, which will bring the total invested to $19.7 million.
“Every day that we bring fiber to customers’ homes is a good day,” Michael Foor, the president of Georgia state operations for Kinetic said in a press release about the Georgia broadband funding win. “We are grateful for the leadership of Gov. Kemp to forge public-private partnerships that bring high-speed internet to rural locations in Georgia where there is not a business case to serve otherwise.”
As Telecompetitor reported the $8.5 million that Windstream won was more than half of the $15 million that the state awarded. The company won three of four awards that were made.
The funded projects – including the fourth award, which was $6.2 million that went to the city of Colquitt – will entail a total investment of $30 million due to the addition of matching funds.
The Georgia Capital Projects Fund Grant Program was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. The program was established by the Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget and the Georgia Technology authority.
This is far from the first success that Windstream has had in winning Georgia broadband funding. In January Windstream won $35 million of more than $234 million that was awarded through the Capital Projects Fund. Windstream won support for 4,509 locations in Clay, Clinch, Randolph and Schley counties.
In early 2022, the company won over $170 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding awarded by the state. At the time, Windstream said that it would invest $133 million in the projects. The investments aimed to bring service to gigabit services to more than 83,000 homes and businesses in the state.
