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The Alabama Digital Expansion Authority on Tuesday held a meeting to hear from internet service providers who have received grants through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for broadband expansion in Alabama on the progress and status of their ongoing projects.
At the meeting, 19 ISPs presented reports on projects which outlined data on how much progress they have made with their respective projects, and what work is still needed to be done.
ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said that he is pleased by the progress these grant recipients are making to this point, and that ADECA will continue to monitor progress to ensure that grant recipients are continuing to complete projects on time.
“These quarterly meetings are designed for those who have been awarded grants to continue to update us on their progress and to make sure we are staying on track,” said Boswell. “I’m pleased with the progress that has been reported by our grant recipients, and we will stay diligent in ensuring that ongoing broadband expansion efforts continue in a timely manner.
“I appreciate the dedication of Senator Donnie Chesteen and the rest of the ADEA board for their oversight to make sure that these dollars are being spent in the most effective way possible. The team that Alabama has assembled to tackle the issue of broadband expansion is second to none, and I am proud of the progress we are making.”
The ISPs who presented have received grants from funds including the Alabama Statewide Middle Mile Network Program, the Alabama Anchor Institution/Middle-Mile Program and the Alabama Capital Projects Fund. Projects supported through these programs must be completed by the end of 2026. ADECA’s Alabama Digital Expansion Division is administering the grants.
At the meeting, the ADEA board selected Senator Chesteen as its new chair and Senator Andrew Jones as co-chair.
In 2017, Governor Ivey issued an executive order establishing ADECA as the state agency over broadband planning and expansion. Since that time, the agency has worked closely with many partners to plan and map Alabama’s broadband expansion efforts and to implement grant programs that support the expansion of high-speed internet in the state. Alabama was recently called a “broadband model for the nation” by the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society.
