$200 million available for broadband infrastructure for flood emergency warning systems

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(The Center Square) – At least $200 million is available for broadband infrastructure prioritizing connectivity for flood emergency warning systems, acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock said

The Comptroller’s Broadband Development Office has issued a Notice of Funding Availability for the Texas Middle Mile (TMM) Program, making up to $200 million in grants available to expand broadband infrastructure statewide.

It is one of several funding rounds that prioritizes projects focused on improving connectivity for flood detection and emergency warning systems in vulnerable areas. Projects may receive up to 100% funding; others may receive up to 80% of total project costs.

“We’ve seen the devastation flash flooding can bring to Texas families and communities,” Hancock said. “This program will direct critical resources where they can make the greatest impact, deploying technology to save lives while we continue to expand access to affordable, reliable broadband.”

The Texas legislature created the TMM Program “to close broadband gaps by building the next generation of extremely high-speed middle-mile infrastructure – the critical link between local networks and the internet backbone.” Expanding the middle-mile infrastructure backbone” will make it easier and more cost-effective for providers to deliver last-mile service to homes and businesses,” the comptroller’s office says. The program also “supports stronger, weather-ready networks and encourages open-access systems that reduce community costs and improve affordability for consumers.”

Those considered eligible will deliver significant community benefits to local governments, utilities and river authorities, according to program criteria. Resources are to be directed to projects that improve broadband service and connectivity needed to strengthen public safety systems in flood-prone regions, it says.

The BDO is holding a public comment period during which selected proposals will be posted online, giving stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback before awards are finalized.

Information about the Texas Middle Mile Program, including application materials and program guidance, can be found at BroadbandForTexas.com or by emailing [email protected].

The announcement came after the Comptroller’s Broadband Development Office announced in 2023 that Texas had been allocated $3.3 billion in federal funding for broadband expansion – more than any other state, The Center Square reported. The Texas legislature established the BDO in 2021 “to award grants, low-interest loans and other financial incentives to applicants seeking to expand access to and adoption of broadband service in designated areas.”

Funding is made available through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and Texas Match Assistance Program (TMAP) “to bring reliable high-speed internet service to more than 245,000 unserved and underserved locations across the state.”

Despite a record amount of funding, broadband, internet and phone access remains limited in the Hill Country, which was devastated by flash flooding on July 4. First responders and others, including residents and vacationers, had difficulty communicating prior to, during and after the storm.