Cumberland Taking Next Steps With Broadband Expansion Work

Cumberland County taking the next step in expanding broadband services in the release of its matching funds for providers to complete the work.

County Mayor Allen Foster said providers in Cumberland County had received some $26 million to conduct this work. He said the $3 million put up by the county help offset the cost of the broadband expansion for providers.

“Between the providers and grants, and other types of funding (the county has been allocated) more than $65 million towards our county,” Foster said. “And that’s over 18,00 new address points. So we’re going someone the state actually called ‘unique’ in how poor of broadband we had, to we’re well on our way to getting everyone covered.”

Foster said Cumberland County is one of the largest grant recipients for broadband funding in the state. He said because the county was ready and willing to put up additional funds for these types of projects, it actually got more points toward provider grant applications, meaning more funding.

Foster said there is a three-year time limit on the grant funding for the build-out, and they currently have about two years. He said they have been working on this work since 2020.

“We were in such a bad way here in Cumberland County and some would say we got lucky because that’s where preparation meets opportunity and when these grants opportunities came out we were ready for them,” Foster said. “And that’s why we got the largest award this time.”