Governor Awards $60M from the Broadband Opportunity Program to 22 Projects

Aug 23, 2023

Florida - Friday June 2, 2023: Governor DeSantis las week announced $60 million in awards through the Broadband Opportunity Program to expand broadband Internet access in Florida's unserved communities.

These awards will support 22 projects in 19 Florida counties for broadband Internet expansion that will impact nearly 58,000 unserved residential, educational, agricultural, business and community locations. Including today's awards, more than $226 million has been awarded to expand broadband Internet access across the state, helping to connect more than 250,000 homes and businesses.

Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the Broadband Opportunity Program funds the installation and deployment of broadband Internet infrastructure in unserved Florida communities, providing valuable access to telehealth, economic, educational, and workforce development opportunities to offer a brighter future for all Floridians.

"This $60 million in awards brings our total investment in broadband to more than $226 million to expand broadband Internet access in Florida's under connected communities," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "With this investment, we are connecting more than 250,000 unserved homes and businesses and expanding opportunities in rural communities."

These awards follow the more than $144 million awarded in February and more than $22 million awarded in April, bringing Florida's total investment to more than $226 million for the expansion of broadband Internet in Florida's small and rural communities, impacting a total of more than 250,000 homes and businesses across the state.

The following projects will be awarded through the Broadband Opportunity Program:

• Southeast Arcadia ($4,997,588) — to add 13 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 497 unserved locations within DeSoto County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 gigabyte per second (GB).

• Cities of Cedar Key and Chiefland, Towns of Otter Creek and Inglis, and Unincorporated Communities of Gulf Hammock, Old Town, Rosewood, Summer and Suwannee ($5,000,000) — to add 1,096.91 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,238 unserved locations within Dixie and Levy Counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Hampton and Starke ($5,000,000) — to add 89 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 960 unserved locations within Bradford County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Unincorporated Communities of Marion Oaks, Ocklawaha and Silver Springs ($2,428,013) — to add 122.12 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,061 unserved locations within Marion County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Unincorporated Community of Rainbow Lake Estates ($1,043,858) — to add 49.17 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 668 unserved locations within Marion County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Okeechobee and Sebring; Unincorporated Community of Lorida ($5,000,000) — to add 795 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,195 unserved locations within Highlands and Okeechobee Counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Towns of Jay and Pine Level; Unincorporated Communities of Berrydale, Brownsdale, Dixonville, Mount Carmel, Munson, Springhill, Walnut Hill and Whitfield ($2,615,434.62) — to add 1,015 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,193 unserved locations within Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• City of Mascotte; Town of Astatula; Unincorporated Communities of Astor and Astor Park ($2,007,768) — to add 71.94 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,272 unserved locations within Lake County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Unincorporated Communities of NE and NW Citrus County ($1,245,500) — to add 310.9 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 4,982 unserved locations within Citrus County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Bowling Green and Wauchula; Town of Zolfo Springs; Unincorporated Community of Charlie Creek; Central and Northern Hardee County ($2,098,642) — to add 165.10 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 1,664 unserved locations within Hardee County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Eustis, Groveland, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Tavares and Umatilla; Town of Astatula; Unincorporated Communities of Altoona, Lake Kathryn Lake Mack-Forrest Hills and Paisley ($1,800,250) — to add 341.3 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 7,201 unserved locations within Lake County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Unincorporated Manatee County and Unincorporated Communities of Duette, Parrish, Rubonia and Willow ($1,550,553) — to add 42 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 261 unserved locations within Manatee County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Town of Mcintosh, Reddick and Zuber; Unincorporated Communities of Anthony, Blitchton, Citra, East Williston, Ematha, Evinston, Fairfield, Irvine, Lowell, Martin, Orange Lake, Spar and York ($2,980,000) — to add 701.1 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 11,920 unserved locations within Marion County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Frostproof, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales, Lakeland and Polk City; Unincorporated Polk County and the Unincorporated Community of Indian Lakes Estates ($1,799,853) — to add 204 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 2,440 unserved locations within Polk County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Bartow, Fort Meade, Frostproof and Mulberry; Towns of Bradley and Brewster; Unincorporated Polk County and the Unincorporated Community of Homeland ($2,321,388) — to add 103 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 853 unserved locations within Polk County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Bushnell and Webster; Unincorporated Communities of Croom-A-Coochee, Lake Panasoffkee, Linden, Tarrytown and The Villages ($604,000) — to add 126.7 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 310 unserved locations within Sumter County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• City of Labelle and Unincorporated Communities of Felda, Fort Denaud and Port Labelle ($4,916,800) — to add 261.2 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 1,128 unserved locations within Hendry County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 megabits per second (Mbps).

• Cities of Bowling Green and Wauchula; Town of Zolfo Springs; Unincorporated Communities of Limestone, Gardner and Ona ($5,000,000) — to add 618 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 6,071 unserved locations within Hardee County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

• City of Valparaiso ($207,087.49) — to add 15.14 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 174 unserved locations within Okaloosa County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB.

• Cities of Trenton and Fanning Springs ($4,948,800) — to add 100 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 1,981 unserved locations within Gilchrist County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

• City of Williston ($25,000) — to add 20 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 1,000 unserved locations within Levy County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

• Cities of Chipley and Vernon; Towns of Wausau and Caryville ($2,493,000) — to add 616 square miles of fixed wireless coverage to provide 9,904 unserved locations within Washington County with minimum download and upload speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

For additional information about the Office of Broadband and its initiatives, visit www.FloridaJobs.org/Broadband.