(C) Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural
This story was originally published by Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Decatur County REMC advances efforts to bridge broadband gap in rural communities [1]

['Kevin Green', 'Greensburg Daily News']

Date: 2024-07

Mar. 3—GREENSBURG — Decatur County REMC has announced progress in its attempt to bring high-speed internet access to underserved areas.

While initial findings were promising from our feasibility study, it's evident that additional resources are essential to realize this initiative without imposing financial burdens on our members, a news release from DCREMC states.

The release goes on to state that Decatur County REMC is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with SEI Communications, a fellow member-owned cooperative with a shared dedication to providing affordable, high-quality services to our members.

"We are excited about the collaborative opportunities that lie ahead," DCREMC CEO Brett Abplanalp states. "Leveraging SEI Communications' expertise in telecommunications in tandem with Decatur County REMC's commitment to enhancing connectivity in our rural areas is a significant achievement."

"Through this partnership, we are empowering the community to thrive in the digital age and driving economic development forward," SEI Communications CEO Tony Clark states.

With the completion of this significant milestone, we are proactively seeking different funding options to push us into the next phase, the release continues. We've already secured $500,000 from Decatur County ARPA Funds, pending approval for the fiber project. Furthermore, we submitted our application for the State of Indiana's Next Level Connect Grant on Feb. 9. This grant is slated for award in early June.

It is important to emphasize that while significant progress has been made, the fiber project is not yet finalized.

We remain committed to ensuring that sufficient grant funding is secured to meet the feasibility threshold before moving forward, the DCREMC release continues. Only at that point will the Fiber to the Home project officially commence.

"With Decatur County ranking among the top 10 most underserved addresses in the state, our dedication to bridging the broadband gap remains solid," Abplanalp states.

For further inquiries or to learn more about our broadband initiative, contact Decatur County REMC at 812-663-3391 or [email protected].

Information provided — Information provided

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://news.yahoo.com/decatur-county-remc-advances-efforts-045900622.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKE3mzY4GjBLffCvID7ROkLTUOMXK1VFcHRoqigK9qL2ZF9PLIA_ckg8siJUknjOoGaVo8Sj7AhuNuD1pNZv9WMfSHTj11JLP1exswDVzDzop9piEbEmh0lvFT22Vy2tj_fUBJbBBUK59CKCbxKJCtZOKruT1_DfEPiarvCF058M

Published and (C) by Daily Yonder - Keep it Rural
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 International.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailyyonder/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.