Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded 20 grants totaling more than $9.5 million to provide high-speed internet access to communities throughout Alabama.

The grants, part of the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund, were awarded to nine broadband providers to fund multiple projects in their coverage areas.

“Availability of high-speed internet has always been vital, but the events of the past several weeks magnify just how imperative it is that all Alabamians have access to broadband,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to support these projects and look forward to the day when every household, school, healthcare facility, emergency service and business throughout Alabama is afforded broadband availability.”

The fund, which is being administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), was created by the Alabama Legislature in 2018 to provide high-speed internet to rural and underserved areas of the state.

The grants fund applications were submitted in December 2019. Additional awards from this round of applications could be announced. Grants awarded and coverage areas are:

• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative – $224,175 to provide broadband services in north Lowndes County, including 301 households and 15 businesses.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative – $289,100 for service in southwest Autauga and southeast Dallas counties, including 343 households and 38 businesses.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative – $480,200 for service in northwest Autauga, northeast Dallas and south Chilton counties, including nearly 500 households and 31 businesses.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative – $682,325 for service adjacent to Billingsley in Autauga County, which includes 656 households and 45 businesses.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative – $1.06 million for service in Chilton County south of Clanton and north of Billingsley, which is in neighboring Autauga County. The project will offer service to 1,093 households and 41 businesses.
• Central Alabama Electric Cooperative – $279,300 for service in northwest Chilton County and east Bibb County, including 409 households and 12 businesses.
• Charter Communications – $336,830 for service in Autaugaville in Autauga County, including 641 households and 14 businesses.
• Comcast of Alabama – $820,750 to service the Dauphin Island in Mobile County, including 2,500 households and 24 businesses.
• Hayneville Telephone Co. – $205,705 for service in Lowndes County and the Hicks Hill community, including 258 households and four businesses.
• Hayneville Telephone Co. – $125,671 for service in an area southeast of Hayneville, including 187 households and one business.
• Hayneville Telephone Co. – $143,265 for service southwest of Hayneville, including 191 households and two businesses.
• Hayneville Fiber Transport Inc. (Camellia Communications) – $90,072 for service in the Butler County community of Poorhouse, northeast of the city of Greenville.
• JTM Broadband – $404,414 for service in Lauderdale County east of Killen, including 1,303 households and 247 businesses.
• Mon-Cre Telephone Cooperative – $529,707 for service in north Crenshaw County and south Montgomery County, including 350 households.
• National Telephone of Alabama – $357,171 for service in the Red Rock community in Colbert County, including 205 households and six businesses.
• Roanoke Telephone Co. – $308,882 for service in an area of south Randolph County between Roanoke and Wadley, including 269 households and four businesses.
• Troy Cablevision – $1.38 million for service in parts of Coffee, Covington, Geneva and Houston counties, including 1,190 households and 80 businesses.
• Troy Cablevision – $750,625 for service in parts of Coffee, Crenshaw and Pike counties, including 603 households and 38 businesses.

“As our day to day way of living has been impacted over the past few weeks, it has underscored the value and necessity of high-speed broadband services,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “That is something that Gov. Ivey, the Legislature and ADECA have been working to address through the Broadband Accessibility Fund. ADECA takes its role in administering this program seriously and is honored to be entrusted with the responsibility.”

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victims, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.