Southeast Nebraska towns see cash from broadband bridge program grants

LINCOLN - A number of cities in Nebraska will be seeing chunks of cash from the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

On Tuesday, the commission approved 60 grants totaling $18-million from the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program (NBBP). The NBBP provides up to $40-million over two grant cycles for the deployment of broadband
networks capable of at least 100 /100 mbps in unserved and underserved areas of the state

“This funding will go a long way in the state’s efforts to help make high speed broadband available to unserved and underserved Nebraskans," said Commission Chair Dan Watermeier.

76 applications were submitted during the 2021 cycle and 60 were awarded. Of those 60 outlets included those in the southeast Nebraska towns of DeWitt, Wymore, Eagle, Diller and Fairbury. The totals are below:

Windstream - DeWitt: $31,747

Windstream - Eagle: $35,637

Windstream - Fairbury: $15,112

Windstream - Wymore: $219,155

Diller Telephone Company/Dione Cable: $326,475

Certain applicants, whose applications were denied due to a challenge to only part of the project area will be given the chance to apply for the remaining $2-million in funding for the 2022 grant cycle.

“We appreciated the robust participation in this first year of the grant cycle and thank the providers who participated in this initial process," Watermeier said. "We encourage any interested parties to participate in the 2022 grant cycle.”