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Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting investments in rural broadband across the state.
At an occasion in Hardee County, the Governor introduced $233 million in state awards to broaden broadband entry all through the state. Most of that cash, about $138 million, comes from a state-funded Broadband Opportunity Program. The rest is supplemented with federal spending.
The funding will go towards 54 initiatives in 33 counties, together with a $4 million award for a expertise, financial improvement and workforce coaching hub challenge in Hardee County.
“One of many key parts of infrastructure has been what we’ve completed to broaden broadband entry, significantly in Florida’s rural communities,” DeSantis mentioned.
However he additionally famous that many city counties nonetheless have underdeveloped areas in want of web service.
“There’s actually important want for rural broadband in a few of our most populated counties since you’ll have some that will have a reasonably large land mass and folks concentrate on town and all that, however then you will have areas which might be extra distant they usually haven’t had entry,” DeSantis mentioned.
FloridaCommerce Secretary Alex Kelly mentioned the broadband funding served an essential position in increasing financial improvement alternatives all through Florida. However he mentioned it’s additionally one thing that can enhance the standard of life for residents instantly.
“At the moment’s awards will take us nearly as much as 40,000 residents, properties, companies, faculties across the state, and that basically means one thing at an actual human private degree,” Kelly mentioned.
It additionally exhibits the evolution, significantly for the reason that pandemic, within the significance of web entry for commerce in rural areas, mentioned Rep. Kaylee Tuck, a Lake Placid Republican.
“In a post-COVID setting, you might have professionals who telecommute to a job in New York, and you might have three, 4 or 5 totally different people who find themselves all preventing for web entry in the identical family,” Tuck mentioned.
“The dialog has by no means been extra essential. The necessity for dependable broadband entry has by no means been extra prevalent, however the pressure on rural communities like ours has by no means been felt greater than it’s as we speak.”
Hardee County Commissioner Renee Wyatt welcomed the funding within the area.
“The award for this facility will present a chance for the residents to entry telehealth,” she mentioned. “It’s going to present mentors for entrepreneurs and generate small companies in addition to create wanted housing. The power itself goes to be a results of a three-story constructing and it’s one thing that we’ve all been discussing for a while now.”
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