Award Name: NTIA Middle Mile Tri-State Fiber Deployment Project
Award Number: 55-40-MM581
Funding Agency: NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)
Act (If Applicable): Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Location(s):
- Wisconsin: Barron, Polk, Burnett, & Washburn Counties
- Iowa: Winneshiek & Mitchell Counties
- Minnesota: Fillmore, Freeborn, & Mower Counties
Current Stage in Project:
Timeline of Project:
Funding Type: Cost Share
Budget: $30,387,913.86
Grant Funds: $14,890,077.79
Summary of Funding Program: The Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program aims to provide funding for the expansion and enhancement of middle mile infrastructure across the USA. Middle mile infrastructure refers to any broadband system that does not connect directly to end users. It is often likened to an interstate highway, which carries heavy traffic and links larger networks to smaller ones. The program has allocated $980 million to fund projects that will construct, improve, or acquire middle mile infrastructure. The goal is to expand and strengthen high-speed internet networks in the U.S. while reducing costs for connecting underserved and unserved areas.
Summary of Project: Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) will implement its Tri-State Fiber Deployment Project (TSFDP), which involves retrofitting 247 miles of fiber optic communication networks using primarily optical ground wire (OPGW) on DPC’s transmission lines over three years. Through the TSFDP, last-mile providers in these regions will gain enhanced capacity to reach underserved and unserved residents at affordable rates, helping to bridge the nation’s digital divide.
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