COALGATE – Ten projects totaling $29.8 million for high-speed internet expansion were officially launched Thursday afternoon in Coalgate in southeastern Oklahoma by the Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) and Chisholm Broadband.
The projects, funded through $23.8 million in federal grants administered by the OBO coupled with $6 million in matching funds from Chisholm, will connect 2,046 homes and businesses with broadband internet using fixed wireless service. The award from ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) was made earlier this year by the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board.
Thursday’s event is but one example of the progress being made statewide to get high-speed internet access to all Oklahomans. The Chisholm projects are in Alfalfa, Beckham, Choctaw, Coal, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Latimer, Major, and Roger Mills counties.
OBO and Chisholm officials, along with local officials and legislators attended the event in Coal County.
“Today’s launch is more than just building towers – it’s the foundation for opportunity, growth, and connectivity in every corner of Oklahoma. With each mile of broadband we expand, we’re not just bridging a digital divide, we’re empowering our communities for a brighter, more prosperous future,” said OBO Executive Director Mike Sanders.
“Our mission to bring internet connectivity to unserved and underserved areas in rural Oklahoma is about more than access – it’s about creating opportunity. We want rural towns to thrive, not just survive, by empowering them with the tools they need for growth, innovation, and a stronger future,” said Michelle Yirka, Senior Vice President/Business Development, Chisholm Broadband
ARPA-SLFRF-awarded grant projects will result in some 50,000 homes and businesses statewide being served with affordable and reliable high-speed internet. But the growth of broadband access across Oklahoma is just beginning.
This fall, the Governing Board gave tentative approval to more than $158 million in ARPA Capital Projects Fund grants to 12 internet service providers for 50 projects in 28 counties.
Now, ISPs are competing for more than $750 million in additional grant funds through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
With tens of thousands of locations to be served through OBO administered programs, the office is on pace to complete its mission of achieving statewide coverage.
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For more information:
Oklahoma Broadband Office
Tim Allen, Director of Communications & Media Relations
tim.allen@broadband.ok.gov
(405) 205-4929
Chisholm Broadband
Michelle Yirka
michelley@chisholmbb.com
(580) 366-0606
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