News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cumberland County Commissioners approved a resolution last week supporting utility providers applying for the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant.
County Mayor Allen Foster said the measure increases the likelihood that providers receive the funding to help extend broadband services.
“That’s what this process has been about. A year ago, we had zero applications for this grant,” Foster said. “This year, were going to have three or four, which is a good thing because we’re just way behind here. This is going to be a huge step forward, if we can get some of this grant funding to actually get fiber to the home.”
According to Microsoft data, roughly 45,000 Cumberland County residents don’t use the internet at “broadband” speeds. Foster said a lack of investments has created the broadband problem in Cumberland County. He also blames incorrect and unvalidated data provided to the FCC.
Foster said he’s hoping providers can obtain some federal grant money for creating broadband infrastructure. He said one of the local providers has applied for a USDA reconnect grant.
“I don’t know if we will get it. It was for the more eastern portion of Cumberland County,” Foster said “It’s a competitive grant and we turned in a strong application. I’ve met with our Congressman and our Senators and sent letters. We’ll see how we scored and if we’re one of the lucky ones to get one.”
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited West Tennessee earlier this month to award the City of Halls a $2.85 million grant to improve broadband internet connectivity for 347 households.
