WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission awarded 17 Missouri broadband providers more than $346 million to expand high speed internet in the state’s rural areas.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Springfield) made the announcement Monday, Dec. 7.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how essential connectivity is for everyone from child care and education, to telehealth to farming and local business,” Blunt said in a press release.
According to figures Blunt’s office attributed to the FCC, nearly $159 million was awarded to Minnesota-based LTD Broadband, LLC. Chariton Valley Communications Corporation, with its corporate office based in Macon, is to receive $8,070,272.
Amounts for other local and regional companies include CenturyLink, Inc. at $275,208; Socket Telecom, LLC with $232,768 and Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone Company, $60,126.
Other entities that were awarded $1 million dollars or more: Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium, $88.2 million; CCO Holdings, LLC, $48.4 million; Aptitude Internet, LLC, $24.6 million; Rural American Broadband Consortium, $4.5 million; Mercury Wireless, Inc., $4.2 million; Windstream Services, LLC, $3 million; Nextier Consortium, $2.1 million; NRTC Phase 1 RDOF Consortium, $1.6 million and Wisper-CABO 904 Consortium, $1.15 million.
Additional companies to receive $1 million or less: yondoo Broadband, LLC, $54,833 and Barry Technology Services, LLC, $14,502.
