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OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) is celebrating the completion of eight broadband infrastructure projects by Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) that will expand fiber-optic connectivity across several rural Oklahoma communities.
The projects were funded through Oklahoma’s American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA SLFRF) broadband program. IEC received approximately $17.7 million for four last-mile and four middle-mile projects.
The four last-mile projects will provide fiber-optic broadband service to 1,187 locations in and around Drumright, Cleveland, Lotsee and Burbank.
The middle-mile projects, located in and around Pawnee, Cleveland and Pawhuska, provide an equally important piece of the broadband network. Middle-mile infrastructure serves as the high-capacity connection between local broadband networks and the larger internet backbone, helping providers extend reliable service into rural and underserved areas. These investments strengthen the infrastructure needed to support both current broadband deployment and future expansion.
“These projects demonstrate the importance of building broadband networks from the backbone all the way to the home or business,” said Mike Sanders, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office. “IEC's investment in both middle-mile and last-mile infrastructure will strengthen connectivity in these communities and help create a foundation for continued broadband expansion across the region.”
With construction complete, the projects represent another significant step in expanding access to reliable, high-speed internet across Oklahoma. Residents can see which Internet providers serve their home or business by typing in their address on the Internet Availability Map.
In 2022, the Oklahoma Legislature allocated ARPA SLFRF funding to the Oklahoma Broadband Office to ensure that at least 95% of Oklahomans have access to high-speed internet. The completion of these projects marks the continued success of that statewide effort. The OBO continues to work with broadband providers across the state to complete federally funded infrastructure projects and fulfill its legislative mandate.
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For more information contact:
Nick Camper, Director of GIS and Data
nicholas.camper@broadband.ok.gov
(405) 522-6756
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