Nashville, TN – State Senator Bill Powers (R-Clarksville) has announced the award of 6 major grants from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to expand broadband to unserved communities in Senate District 22: Montgomery County.
“Expanding broadband access in rural parts of Montgomery County will help so many individuals, families, and businesses,” said Powers. “I am excited to see these funds coming to our district and look forward to continuing to improve broadband access in our district.”
The awards consist of Last Mile and Middle Mile infrastructure programs as well as digital opportunity programs. These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to ensure that all residents have access to high-speed internet by 2028 and have opportunities to develop digital skills, access high-quality tech jobs, connect to broadband-enabled devices, and access online learning and telehealth resources.
Middle Mile grant recipients in Senate District 22:
- Dickson Electric Department – $1,364,758.72 – Serving parts of Dickson County, Cheatham County, Houston County, Hickman County and Montgomery County
- Spectrum Southeast – $135,850.12 – Serving parts of Montgomery County
To promote broadband opportunity and high-paying digital jobs, TNECD launched four new programs during this funding opportunity: Digital Skills, Employment and Workforce Development (DSEW), Connected Community Facilities (CCF), Broadband Ready Communities (BRC) and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Broadband Workforce grants.
The CCF grants are being distributed to local governments and will facilitate digital opportunity by construction and renovation of spaces that offer services for digital advancement in workforce, healthcare, and education.
Connected Community Facilities grant recipients in Senate District 22:
- Montgomery County – $216,531.00 – Serving Montgomery County
The BRC grants are being distributed to local governments to support community-based digital skills training, public Wi-Fi projects, the distribution of free or low-cost devices, and the marketing of low-cost internet plans.
Broadband Ready Communities grant recipients in Senate District 22:
- Montgomery County – $100,000.00
The DSEW grants are being distributed to organizations that will offer a variety of training and education programs to advance digital skills and workforce development, creating a pipeline for well-paying digital jobs.
Digital Skills, Education and Workforce Grant Recipients in Senate District 22:
- Greater Nashville Regional Council – $404,893.00 – Serving parts of Cheatham County, Davidson County, Dickson County, Houston County, Humphreys County, Montgomery County, Robertson County, Rutherford County, Stewart County, Sumner County, Trousdale County, Williamson County and Wilson County
- Morecomputing Learning Services, Inc. – $374,969.00 – Serving parts of Davidson County, Rutherford County and Montgomery County
Grantees across all programs are investing matching funds and will complete their projects by December 31st, 2026.
Applications for the second round of CCF and BRC programs will open on May 15th, 2024, and the DSEW program will open on June 15th, 2024.
