High-Speed Broadband Coming To 10 Communities In Polk County

POLK COUNTY, FL — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $60 million in awards through the Broadband Opportunity Program to expand broadband Internet access in Florida’s unserved communities, including 10 communities in Polk County.

These awards will support 22 projects in 19 Florida counties for broadband Internet expansion that will impact nearly 58,000 unserved residential, educational, agricultural, business and community locations. Including these awards, more than $226 million has been awarded to expand broadband Internet access across the state, helping to connect more than 250,000 homes and businesses.

Among them, the state spend $1.8 million to add 204 miles of fiber optic cable with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 gigabyte to 2,440 unserved locations in Polk County, including Frostproof, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales, Lakeland and Polk City, and unincorporated Polk County.

Additionally, the state will spend $2.3 million to add 103 miles of fiber optic cable with symmetrial download and upload speeds of 1 GB to 853 unserved locations in Polk County, including Bartow, Fort Meade, Frostproof, Mulberry and unincorporated Polk County.

“This $60 million in awards brings our total investment in broadband to more than $226 million to expand broadband Internet access in Florida’s under connected communities,” said DeSantis. “With this investment, we are connecting more than 250,000 unserved homes and businesses and expanding opportunities in rural communities.”

These awards follow the more than $144 million DeSantis awarded in February and more than $22 million awarded in April, bringing Florida’s total investment to more than $226 million for the expansion of broadband Internet in Florida’s small and rural communities, impacting a total of more than 250,000 homes and businesses across the state.

“Thanks to Gov. DeSantis’ leadership, Floridians won’t need to leave their hometowns to access education, health care and business resources due to lack of broadband Internet access,” said Department of Economic Opportunity Acting Secretary, Meredith Ivey. “Small and rural communities across the state will be able to connect to fast, reliable broadband Internet at their home or business and can take advantage of the opportunities that accompany broadband Internet connectivity.”

Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Broadband Opportunity Program funds the installation and deployment of broadband Internet infrastructure in unserved Florida communities