Texas Comptroller announces grantees for broadband infrastructure projects in high plains counties

AUSTIN (KAMR/KCIT) — On Friday, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, announced an initial award of $4.8 million in grant funding to six High Plains counties for broadband infrastructure projects as part of the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas Program (BOOT).

According to officials, the funding will support four broadband projects that will be “Reliable, affordable internet service to 648 locations in the counties of Floyd, Hockley, Hall, Yoakum, Donley and Garza.”

“The distribution of these funds is just the beginning of a historic investment in Texas,” said Hegar, Chair of the Comptroller-run Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO), which has been legislatively mandated to close the digital divide in this state. “Critical broadband infrastructure projects across the state are starting to get much-needed attention that will help us increase access to reliable, high-speed internet and close the availability gap in Texas.”

In 2021, Texas received the second-largest allocation of any state, $500.5 million from the Capital Projects Fund, a $10 billion component of the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in response to the pandemic, said officials.

Officials stated that in 2023, the BDO began accepting grant applications for the BOOT program, which is funded through CPF dollars. Eligible applicants included internet service providers, political subdivisions, and public-private relationships interested in developing broadband infrastructure to connect unserved and underserved locations.

“Poka Lambro Telecommunications Ltd., Valor Telecommunications of Texas LLC, AMA Communications LLC and Resound Networks received funding for broadband infrastructure projects in High Plains counties,” said officials. “The awardees met a mandate that they could deliver, upon completion, broadband service that reliably meets or exceeds symmetrical speeds of 100 megabits per second. They also demonstrated they could provide a universally available low-cost option for locations being connected through the BOOT program.”

Officials further noted that the BOOT program is the state’s first competitive broadband grant program focused on connecting end-users to high-speed internet. The program supports broadband infrastructure projects in eligible areas that bring reliable, affordable internet service to communities in need.