Tennessee to distribute additional $813M to broadband providers in effort to expand rural access

Tennessee broadband accessibility (Source: Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development)

Tennessee is set to receive $813 million in federal funds to expand high-speed broadband internet into rural communities.

The funds were approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration as part of a national effort to extend broadband to underserved communities throughout the United States.

As Tennessee prepares to distribute $61M in broadband grants, an audit questions fairness of the grant application process

The funding will be distributed in the form of grants to companies already authorized to provide broadband in Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development said.

The state plans to open the program for applications in November.

Nearly five percent of the state has no access to broadband, increasingly essential access for school and work.

Over the past five years, Tennessee has distributed $715 million in state and federal funding to broaden internet access.

Under the administration of former Gov. Bill Haslam, the state enacted the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act aimed at increasing access to unserved citizens in 2017. At the time, 34 percent of Tennessee residents lacked access to basic services.