BY: TIM CARPENTER, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — The federal agency overseeing distribution of $42 billion in state grants for expansion of broadband networks approved Kansas’ plan for allocating $451 million to improve high-speed internet service in regions of the state not adequately served by private industry.
Approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s telecommunications and information administration means Kansas was ready to request access to federal dollars and prepare for submission of applications from companies or organizations capable of carrying out projects designed to close the digital divide.
Service-gap maps indicated the greatest need in Kansas was in rural counties, with significant demand in southeast and southwest regions of the state.
“I really want to congratulate the state for submitting such a sophisticated and high quality program, one that shows how the state will make high-speed internet service available to everyone in every community,” said Courtney Dozier, deputy director of Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, at the federal Department of Commerce.
She said the step put Kansas closer to getting shovels in the ground, strengthening broadband systems and connecting communities to services that contribute to job creation.
Gov. Laura Kelly said the federal initiative financed through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would address barriers preventing Kansans from fully participating in the digital economy.
“Kansans, no matter their zip code, deserve access to reliable, high-speed internet,” the governor said.
Jade Piros de Carvalho, director of the Kansas Office of Broadband Development, said during a conference call with Dozier that the private-public partnership was crafted to bring affordable, reliable broadband to homes and businesses statewide by the end of this decade.
She said the initial steps of a five-year plan involved mapping broadband availability and determining areas in which investment should be prioritized. A pre-registration portal for potential bidders for the grants should be available by mid-May and the competitive bidding process among potential grant recipients would start in July.
The preference would be to deliver service through fiberoptic networks, Piros de Carvalho said, but alternative sources, including fixed wireless systems, would be considered.
“We’re going to be very intentional about where this … investment goes,” she said. “We also put together a regulatory framework to really help providers and other applicants understand how best to succeed in getting these funds. The goal is to get everyone connected … with the highest, most scalable technology possible.”