Governor announces another round of broadband expansion

Feb. 20—ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has announced a second round of the Capital Projects Fund Grant Program to expand high-speed internet service to unserved and underserved areas.

The state expects to invest an additional $15 million through this round of broadband expansion, and the funding will be administered and deployed by the Office of Planning and Budget through a competitive grant process.

"Following the significant investments in high-speed internet expansion I've announced over the past year, I'm thankful additional CPF funding is available to help provide access to unserved communities," Kemp said in a news release. "These grants will enable us to further close the digital divide in our state, connecting even more Georgians to opportunity. We've made great progress in recent years, and we won't rest on our laurels as we continue to make strategic broadband investments."

Like the first round, this CPF grant program will provide needed support to build comprehensive broadband networks in communities struggling with a lack of internet access. Approved projects will use leading technologies to offer reliable, high-speed internet access able to support a household with multiple users, as well as businesses with competitive needs.

The second round of this grant program follows the $234 million investment of CPF funds announced by Kemp on Jan. 4. These awards will improve connectivity for communities, households, businesses, and anchor institutions in 28 Georgia counties. When combined with significant capital matches from awardees, almost $455 million will be invested to serve more than 76,000 locations in communities with some the greatest need for high-speed internet access.