DES MOINES –  Governor Reynolds and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Tuesday, announced the recipients of the State of Iowa Broadband Grants Program.  Thirty-nine applicants have been awarded a total of $97,500,000 for broadband infrastructure as part of the latest Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. OCIO received 178 applications from broadband providers for the Grant Program with requests nearing $300 million.

Among the recipients in this area, was:

• The Casey Mutual Telephone Company: Rural Fiber Project, $2,648,200.05.
• Manning Municipal Utilities: Manning Rural, Highway 141 north & south NOFA 006, $2,195,220.67.
• Marne & Elk Horn Telephone Company (METC): POtt. County/Underwood rural fiber build – MEH, $4,550,861.64.

(The other Award announcements can be found online here.)

Due to the overwhelming amount of interest and success of this program, the State of Iowa will expedite a new grant opportunity utilizing ARPA federal funds to build upon the $100 million in state funding for this grant program. Details on this new grant opportunity will be released in the near future.