KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Friday the 11 recipients of the Broadband Acceleration Grant program that will give more than $10 million of investment in high-speed broadband access in rural areas.
Two of the award recipients are Charter Communications in Leavenworth County and KwiKom Communications in Paola, Miami County, according to a release from Kelly's office.
Charter Communications received $403,158 in grant awards, and they are matching investments with $1,512,000 bringing the total investment to $1,915,158.
KwiKom Communications was awarded $496,190, and they are matching investments with $496,190, bringing their total to $992,380.
The grant program was launched in 2020 and is a 10-year, $85 million program to help improve rural broadband access. The funding comes from the Kansas Department of Transportation's Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).
“Broadband infrastructure is as critical to the well-being of Kansans as are safe roads, bridges, and drinking water,” Julie Lorenz, transportation secretary, said. “These IKE-funded grants, when combined with broadband funding opportunities available through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enable Kansas to strategically and efficiently expand quality broadband infrastructure throughout our state.”
This year's funding brings the total of investment to $70 million since 2020.
"We’re continuing to deliver on our bold and ambitious goal to make Kansas a top 10 state for broadband access by 2030,” Kelly said in the release. “Affordable broadband is necessary for our communities to remain viable and competitive, and every Kansan deserves a reliable connection to the world. These grants accelerate our efforts to make that a reality.”
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