Boosting broadband: $8.7 million helping Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River make internet available
You might be reading this article on your computer — without a second thought to your high-speed internet access.
Not all your Treasure Coast neighbors are so fortunate, but the connectivity playing field soon will become more level for select communities throughout Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.
So far this year, the Florida Office of Broadband has awarded nearly $8.7 million to swaths of the region with slow or no internet, from Fellsmere to Fort Pierce to Indiantown.
“We know that there are broadband needs in Fort Pierce and we know that many people cannot afford internet service,” said Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson. “Some that can afford it, they don’t have the digital literacy skills required to make the best use of it.”
Government initiatives to bring underserved areas online constitute a first step in bridging this digital divide, Hudson said.
The broadband office, launched in 2020 under the purview of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, has doled out more than $473 million across four funding rounds since February. The money supports some 150 projects statewide, according to the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, providing high-speed internet for roughly 310,000 homes, farms and businesses. Other community locations, such as libraries and hospitals, also are included.
“Broadband internet infrastructure will change the landscape and quality of life for Florida families and businesses, connecting them to workforce training, jobs, educational resources and telehealth services,” DEO Secretary J. Alex Kelly said in a July 7 statement.
Where does the Treasure Coast need broadband?
Parts of each Treasure Coast county received grants in both the first and fourth rounds of funding. In February, Fort Pierce, Indiantown and unincorporated Indian River County were awarded a combined $2 million through the state Broadband Opportunity Program, which includes federal COVID-19 relief dollars funneled through the American Rescue Plan Act.
In July, Fellsmere, Fort Pierce, Palm City, Vero Beach and Port St. Lucie were granted nearly $6.7 million through the state Broadband Infrastructure Program, also supported by federal pandemic-relief funding.
Comcast is overseeing all seven Treasure Coast broadband projects, which include the installation of fiber optic cable in nearly 3,100 residences and facilities. The fourth round of grants designated more than 188 miles of cable to the region; cable length was unlisted in the first round.
The state expects additional broadband dollars to become available later this year.
More than 21,000 Treasure Coast households have no internet subscription, according to a TCPalm analysis of 2021 American Community Survey data. Among the 92% of households that do, broadband access — such as cable, DSL or fiber optic — correlates to higher annual household income. For example, about 79% of households with an income below $20,000 have broadband, compared to 96% of households with an income above $75,000.
Comcast did not respond to TCPalm’s request for comment on whether the expanded service areas would be offered broadband subscriptions at a reduced cost.
Indian River County
In the eyes of Vero Beach Mayor John Cotugno, a better-connected community is a better-informed community. Recent grants awarded to the region raise awareness that internet access isn’t as ubiquitous as it might seem, he said.
“Who would think that on the Treasure Coast — in Indian River County — someone would not have access to broadband?” he asked. “It would seem unthinkable … but it’s a reality.”
Unincorporated Indian River
Grant: $532,147
Where: 674 unserved households in one parcel surrounding Fellsmere, as far north as 117th Street and as far south as 77th Street
Cable length: Unspecified
Download/upload speeds: Up to 1 gigabit per second (gbps)
Fellsmere and Vero Beach; Vero Beach South
Grant: $1.9M
Where: 661 unserved locations in six parcels, as far north as the Brevard County line and as far south as the St. Lucie County line
Cable length: 94.9 miles
Download/upload speeds: 1 gbps
St. Lucie County
St. Lucie is the only Treasure Coast county to have had some broadband applications rejected. State records show AT&T submitted an unsuccessful proposal covering several areas of Fort Pierce, most west of Interstate 95. The state also rejected a Comcast proposal covering western St. Lucie, namely Aero Acres south of Okeechobee Road.
To be considered unserved, a parcel’s internet must be slower than 25/3 mbps. Translation: download speeds below 25 megabits per second and upload speeds below 3 mbps. An underserved parcel has speeds slower than 100/20 mbps.
Click here to view the Faster Florida Broadband Map and explore internet speeds in your area.
Fort Pierce
Grant: $1,429,400
Where: 636 unserved and underserved locations in two parcels, west of I-95 and north of Okeechobee Road
Cable length: Unspecified
Download speed: Minimum 50 mbps
Upload speed: Minimum 10 mbps
Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie
Grant: $2,028,750
Where: 396 unserved locations in three parcels, east of I-95 and as far south as Savannas Preserve State Park
Cable length: 41.59 miles
Download/upload speeds: 1 gbps
Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie; Treasure Coast Airpark
Grant: $1,386,614.25
Where: 183 unserved locations in three parcels, surrounding Glades Cut Off Road and Range Line Road
Cable length: 21.09 miles
Download/upload speeds: 1 gbps
Martin County
Martin received the least funding of any Treasure Coast county, about $1.4 million. However, all of it will go toward unserved inland locations.
County Commissioner Ed Ciampi, whose District 5 includes Palm City and part of Indiantown, did not respond to TCPalm’s requests for comment.
Indiantown
Grant: $56,500
Where: 50 unserved households west of Indiantown Memorial Park
Cable length: Unspecified
Download/upload speeds: Up to 1 gbps
Palm City
Grant: $1.36M
Where: 484 unserved locations in three parcels, west of Florida’s Turnpike, as far north as Martin Highway and as far south as Citrus Boulevard
Cable length: 30.74 miles
Download/upload speeds: 1 gbps
Lindsey Leake is TCPalm’s projects reporter. She has an M.A. in Science Writing from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. in Journalism and Digital Storytelling from American University and a B.A. from Princeton University. Follow her on Twitter @NewsyLindsey, Facebook @LindseyMLeake and Instagram @newsylindsey. Call her at 772-529-5378 or email her at lindsey.leake@tcpalm.com.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida Broadband Opportunity Program: Fort Pierce, Vero Beach grants
