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Kansas Commerce outlines $662 million in broadband projects and remaining coverage gaps
Summary
Rachel Willis, director of legislative affairs at the Kansas Department of Commerce, briefed the Senate Committee on Utilities on nine broadband grant programs totaling about $661.9 million in investments and warned that significant areas will remain unserved after BEAD allocations.
Rachel Willis, director of legislative affairs at the Kansas Department of Commerce, told the Kansas Senate Committee on Utilities on Oct. 12 that the state is administering nine broadband programs with 86 active projects and an anticipated total investment of about $661,900,000 that officials estimate will connect more than 100,000 homes and businesses by fiscal year 2026.
Willis said the Department of Commerce manages a mix of state and federal funds, including the state's Broadband Acceleration Grant (BAG) program, ARPA allocations and larger federal programs such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
"We really think of broadband ... as a utility," Willis said, arguing the state must continue to invest in deployment and long-term maintenance to keep rural communities and businesses competitive.
Context: the department…
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