TNECD Announces Approval of Proposal to Invest $101.6 million in Broadband Expansion

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | 03:00pm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced today that the state will award $101.6 million in funding as part of the second round of broadband and digital opportunity grants.

These investments will provide last-mile broadband access and digital opportunity programs to more than 97,000 Tennesseans across 75 counties. With this latest grant round, TNECD's total commitment to expanding the state's broadband infrastructure rises to $683 million, with an additional $132.6 million invested in digital opportunity initiatives, connecting more than 700,000 Tennesseans across 280,000 residential and business locations.

“High-speed internet access is essential to all Tennesseans, and that's why we continue making strategic investments in our state's broadband infrastructure and digital opportunity programs to create a pathway to education and skills training,” said Gov. Lee. “I thank the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for their continued efforts to manage these dollars effectively and expand opportunity.”

The department’s efforts are part of a broader strategy to ensure that all residents have access to high-speed internet by 2028, and have opportunities to develop digital skills, access high-quality tech jobs, connect to broadband enabled devices and access online learning and telehealth resources.

“We continue to make significant strides in expanding access to high-speed internet statewide, investing more than $816 million in broadband infrastructure and broadband adoption since Gov. Lee took office in 2019,” said Commissioner McWhorter. “High-quality job training starts with access to high-speed internet, and this latest investment will help us further prepare Tennesseans for the jobs of the future.”

TNECD’s $34.5 million investment in broadband infrastructure will expand high-speed internet access across 5,241 locations in six counties.

Additionally, the department’s $67.1 million investment in digital opportunity grants will promote digital literacy and equip more than 3 million Tennesseans with the skills needed for high-paying virtual jobs across 66 counties.

Across all four programs, grantees are contributing approximately $25.1 million in matching funds, with project completion slated for December 31, 2026.

Below is a brief overview of each of the four grant programs, along with the total funding awarded for each:

The Last Mile grants, totaling $34.5 million, will be distributed to five internet service providers. These funds will facilitate high-speed broadband access, increase deployment and encourage adoption of broadband in areas of Tennessee that are currently lacking broadband at speeds of 100 megabytes per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload.

The Digital Skills, Employment, and Workforce Development (DSEW) grants, totaling $16.1 million, will be distributed to 29 organizations. These funds will support a variety of training and education programs aimed at enhancing digital skills and workforce development. These DSEW programs will help build a pipeline for high-paying digital jobs while equipping individuals with the skills needed to thrive in today’s digital economy and foster innovation.

The Connected Community Facilities (CCF) grants, totaling $49.4 million, will be distributed to 31 local governments. These funds will enable workforce development, virtual health monitoring, virtual education, and broadband access, all within one building for communities throughout Tennessee.

The Broadband Ready Communities (BRC) grants, totaling $1.6 million, will be distributed among 19 local governments. These funds will support community-based digital skills training and deliver the technology necessary to equip communities with digital adoption resources.

Below is a list of the recipients for the latest round of funding:

Last Mile

  1. Spectrum Southeast
    $12,466,143.31 – Serving parts of Carroll, Meigs, Moore, and Roane Counties
  2. Skybest Communications
    $5,056,150.54 – Serving parts of Johnson County
  3. United Communications
    $8,137,109.73 – Serving parts of Marshall County
  4. Ben Lomand Communications
    $4,671,173.00 – Serving parts of Moore County
  5. Comcast Holdings Corporation
    $4,211,950.16 – Serving parts of Roane County

Digital Skills, Education, and Workforce Development

  1. The Enterprise Center, Inc
    $900,000.89 – Serving parts of Hamilton, Bradley, Polk, McMinn, Marion, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs, and Grundy Counties
  2. Street Ministries, Inc.
    $710,361.71 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  3. Adroit
    $195,000.00 – Serving parts of Davidson and Williamson Counties
  4. Dynamo Studios
    $999,360.00 – Serving parts of Hamilton County
  5. ROANEnet
    $163,206.95 – Serving parts of Roane, Loudon, Morgan, and Meigs Counties
  6. Persevere, Inc.
    $990,640.00 – Serving parts of Davidson, Hamilton, Shelby, Claiborne, Carroll, and Dickson Counties
  7. LocalTek Foundation
    $751,391.86 – Serving parts of Davidson, Cheatham, Fayette, Knox, Loudon, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Tipton, Williamson, and Wilson Counties
  8. Cloudwise Academy LLC
    $838,243.42 – Serving parts of Washington, Carter, Greene, Unicoi, Johnson, and Sullivan Counties
  9. Gestalt Community Schools
    $989,604.00 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  10. Project Return, Inc.
    $734,716.00 – Serving parts of Davidson County
  11. CodeCrew
    $130,230.00 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  12. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
    $1,000,000.00 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  13. National Independent Venue Foundation
    $296,460.00 – Serving parts of Davidson, Shelby, Hamilton, Grundy, and Washington Counties
  14. RISE Chattanooga
    $424,062.00 – Serving parts of Hamilton County
  15. Nashville Software School Inc
    $959,400.00 – Serving parts of Davidson and various counties throughout Middle Tennessee
  16. Van Buren County Board of Education
    $586,008.47 – Serving parts of Van Buren County
  17. Lake County Board of Education
    $699,758.00 – Serving parts of Lake County
  18. Ivy Academy Chattanooga
    $991,827.00 – Serving parts of Hamilton County
  19. Martha O'Bryan Center, Inc.
    $638,238.60 – Serving parts of Davidson County
  20. Nashville Public Library Foundation
    $117,938.00 – Serving parts of Davidson County
  21. SoundCorps, Inc
    $353,813.40 – Serving parts of Hamilton County
  22. Men of Valor
    $931,167.00 – Serving parts of Davidson, Knox, and Hamilton Counties
  23. Autism Possible
    $293,724.00 – Serving parts of Davidson, Wilson, Williamson, Shelby, Cheatham, Fayette, Knox, Loudon, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, and Tipton Counties
  24. Bledsoe County Board of Education
    $113,353.20 – Serving parts of Bledsoe County
  25. Memphis Equity Through Arts META, Inc.
    $173,790.27 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  26. Music Box Inc.
    $401,434.20 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  27. Bristol Public Library
    $46,440.00 – Serving parts of Sullivan County
  28. Sync Space Entrepreneur Center
    $546,711.20 – Serving parts of Unicoi, Carter, Claiborne, Greene, Grainger, Hamblen, and Hancock Counties
  29. American Muslim Advisory Council
    $168,000.00 – Serving parts of Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, and Wilson Counties

 

Connected Community Facilities

  1. Greene County Government
    $1,544,202.00 – Serving parts of Greene County
  2. Wilson County Promotions, Inc.
    $1,980,000.00 – Serving parts of Wilson, DeKalb, Smith, Trousdale, and Sumner Counties
  3. County of Cannon
    $1,980,000.00 – Serving parts of Cannon County
  4. Putnam County Tennessee
    $1,755,000.00 – Serving parts of Putnam County
  5. Dandridge Municipal Library
    $1,800,000.00 – Serving parts of Jefferson County
  6. Shelbyville Bedford County Public Library
    $630,000.00 – Serving parts of Bedford County
  7. Giles County of Tennessee
    $2,000,000.00 – Serving parts of Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Marshall Counties
  8. Smith County Government
    $1,800,000.00 – Serving parts of Smith County
  9. Pickett County Government
    $1,980,015.29 – Serving parts of Pickett County
  10. Soulsville Foundation
    $1,978,470.00 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  11. City of Newbern
    $1,796,375.75 – Serving parts of Dyer County
  12. Town of Somerville
    $1,945,489.46 – Serving parts of Fayette County
  13. City of Sweetwater
    $609,980.00 – Serving parts of Monroe County
  14. YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South
    $1,786,589.00 – Serving parts of Haywood County
  15. City of Ripley
    $1,864,492.93 – Serving parts of Lauderdale County
  16. The City of Kingsport
    $2,000,000.00 – Serving parts of Sullivan and Hawkins Counties
  17. Town of Henning
    $727,048.66 – Serving parts of Lauderdale County
  18. Town of Oneida
    $736,200.00 – Serving parts of Scott County
  19. Michael Dunn Center
    $616,140.00 – Serving parts of Roane and Morgan Counties
  20. County of Franklin
    $420,273.00 – Serving parts of Franklin County
  21. Weakley County
    $1,716,373.74 – Serving parts of Weakley, Carroll, and Henry Counties
  22. City of Memphis
    $1,584,000.00 – Serving parts of Shelby County
  23. Henderson County
    $995,461.49 – Serving parts of Henderson County
  24. County of Hardin
    $1,799,771.27 – Serving parts of Hardin County
  25. McNairy County
    $2,000,000.00 – Serving parts of McNairy County
  26. City of Mount Pleasant
    $1,980,000.00 – Serving parts of Maury, Hickman, Lewis, and Perry Counties
  27. TAF Rural Expansion Foundation
    $1,980,000.00 – Serving parts of Unicoi, Carter, Greene, Cocke, Hawkins, and Washington Counties
  28. Sequatchie County
    $2,000,000.00 – Serving parts of Sequatchie and Bledsoe Counties
  29. City of Etowah
    $1,387,395.00 – Serving parts of McMinn County
  30. Perry County Government
    $1,980,405.00 – Serving parts of Perry County
  31. Town of Whiteville
    $2,000,000.00 – Serving parts of Hardeman County

 

Broadband Ready Communities

  1. Bedford County Government
    $100,000.00
  2. County of Lawrence
    $53,000.00
  3. Giles County of Tennessee
    $65,720.00
  4. City of McMinnville
    $21,782.25
  5. County of Cannon
    $100,000.00
  6. City of Baxter
    $45,956.70
  7. Clay County
    $100,000.00
  8. Bledsoe County Government
    $100,000.00
  9. Hamilton County Government
    $100,000.00
  10. County of Franklin
    $100,000.00
  11. City of Sparta
    $100,000.00
  12. Cocke County Government
    $30,062.92
  13. City of Clinton
    $100,000.00
  14. City of Dayton
    $94,763.72
  15. Town of Spring City
    $94,763.72
  16. City of Knoxville
    $100,000.00
  17. Bradley County Government
    $94,763.72
  18. City of Dunlap
    $100,000.00
  19. Polk County Government
    $94,763.72

 

To learn more about Tennessee’s broadband initiatives or apply for these programs, please visit
here.

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop
strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.
To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment
to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth.
Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Like us on
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TNECD Media Contact
Chris O’Brien
Public Information Officer
(615) 934-5879
Chris.OBrien@tn.gov