CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Brightspeed announced that it has received a total of $528 million in federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment funds to support its mission of bringing fast internet to underserved rural communities.
The latest states to announce BEAD program awards include Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and South Carolina, where Brightspeed was awarded $181,064,376 to reach an additional 90,852 homes and businesses with its fiber internet network.
“Our investment, combined with this latest round of BEAD funding, is about more than laying fiber; it’s about changing lives,” said Michel Combes, Brightspeed executive chairman and CEO. “Every mile we build brings new opportunities – students who can learn without limits, small businesses that can thrive in the digital economy and families who can access health care and stay connected to loved ones. This funding accelerates our commitment to close the digital divide.”
Brightspeed is investing billions of dollars to deploy next-generation fiber to more than 5 million homes and businesses across 20 states.
The company’s fiber network already reaches more than 2.5 million locations across its footprint, with thousands more locations added each month.
In addition to Brightspeed’s own investment, the company has been awarded BEAD program funds in each of these states as follows:
In addition to the BEAD program funding, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin awarded Brightspeed nearly $294.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the company’s multimillion-dollar fiber network deployment investment in those states.
“All of these investments are about people,” said Pamela Sherwood, Brightspeed broadband office vice president. “With state and federal subsidy support, we’re bringing life-changing connections to families who have waited too long for reliable internet. This funding empowers us to give local economies the tools to grow – empowering small businesses, strengthening schools and helping communities compete and thrive in a digital world.”