Kansas awards $12.9 million in broadband grants for rural internet
Governor Laura Kelly has announced $12.9 million in Broadband Acceleration Grants — matched with almost $14 million in private investment — to expand high-speed internet across 44 rural Kansas counties.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has announced $12.9 million in Broadband Acceleration Grants to extend high-speed internet access to 44 rural counties across the state.
The awards — the latest round of the state’s Broadband Acceleration Grant (BAG) programme — will be matched with almost $14 million in private and local investment, putting roughly $27 million to work expanding broadband infrastructure. It targets underserved homes, businesses and farms where distance and low population density make private buildout unviable without public co-investment.
“My Administration remains committed to achieving our goal of making Kansas a top 10 state for broadband access,” Kelly said.
“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury. It’s a daily necessity for every Kansan,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said.
The BAG programme is administered by the Kansas Office of Broadband Development and funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s bipartisan Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE). The governor’s office put the programme’s total investment in broadband infrastructure at nearly $44.6 million. Kelly launched the initiative in 2020 as a 10-year, $85 million programme for unserved and economically distressed communities.
The largest award went to IdeaTek, which received $3.72 million to connect 657 homes and businesses across 18 counties, plus a further $2.75 million to extend middle-mile fibre across 15 counties. Projects were chosen after an executive-committee review and a public comment period.
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