Florida’s Grant Initiatives Expand Broadband Access in Polk County

The state of Florida has recently allocated grants to support the expansion of broadband access in Polk County. Governor Ron DeSantis’ office has announced that $60 million has been awarded for 22 projects across the state as part of the Broadband Opportunity Program, which the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity administers. The program aims to fund the installation and deployment of broadband internet infrastructure in underserved communities throughout Florida, as stated in a press release by Governor DeSantis’ office.

One of the grants, amounting to $1.8 million, has been designated for various cities within Polk County, including Frostproof, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales, Lakeland, Polk City, as well as the unincorporated community of Indian Lakes Estates, and certain areas of unincorporated Polk County. The objective of this project is to extend the reach of broadband connectivity by adding 204 miles of fiber optic cable. According to the press release, this expansion will provide symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB to 2,440 previously unserved locations.