Broadband

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Florida continues to pour millions of dollars in federal funds into communities that lack strong internet infrastructure, but that doesn't mean it's accessible to the people who live there. Cheri Coryea, with the Patterson Foundation’s Digital Access for All Initiative, is working to change that.

Broadband upgrades are aimed to connect about 760 homes by 2025.

They will receive nearly $28.9 million to lay fiber optic cable and improve their broadband infrastructure. Highlands County is getting more than $17.3 million.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will host in-person and virtual public workshops to hear directly from Florida residents about barriers to accessing broadband Internet service in their communities.

In several rural areas of Florida, a strong internet connection is a rarity. But in Hardee County, the community is a step ahead. Here's how it has provided consistent internet for its community, and how it's looking to build on that success.

Hardee County will get the largest chunk of the funds announced by Gov. DeSantis, at more than $7 million.

This is the latest round of funding that is coming from the state, which ultimately derives itself from the Biden Administration’s 2021 Infrastructure Bill. The program commits hundreds of millions of dollars to strengthening internet infrastructure in rural areas of the country.

Polk and Hernando are among 41 counties that will receive a share of $144 million.

It comes as the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity plans to issue $400 million in grants to communities that need better internet infrastructure.

Last year, lawmakers created the Office of Broadband within the Department of Economic Opportunity. Since then, the office has begun mapping areas in the state where access to high-speed internet doesn’t exist.

The state House and Senate were working in sync to legislate $500 million in funding for broadband expansion efforts. The two chambers diverged after the Senate's plan was amended on Tuesday to remove any specified funding amounts for high-speed internet projects.