Windstream Communications Takes Rural Broadband Funds

Windstream Holdings Inc. will receive more than $13.1 million a year from the Federal Communications Commission to expand broadband Internet service to customers in rural Arkansas, the agency announced Wednesday.

“The Connect America Fund is delivering on its promise of ensuring that all Americans have access to the opportunities provided by modern broadband service, no matter where they live”, Wheeler said in a statement.

Administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Connect America Fund provides ongoing funding to support and expand rural broadband networks capable of delivering at least 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds.

In June, Frontier Communications accepted about $4.2 million to expand Internet service in rural Iowa from the same FCC program.

See Thursday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Officials say the money comes from a program that provides support to extend service into areas that wouldn’t otherwise have high-speed internet. Companies may accept the funding and related service obligations for its service area in each state.

Behold. A telecommunications company taking federal funding to invest in rural broadband.

Carriers given promote that are caused by the Connect America Fund must increase broadband to 40 proportion of financed service locations by… The company declined the offer for the state of New Mexico. The company will instead participate in the upcoming bidding process to compete for support in the state.

Windstream has already received over $87 million in Connect America Funds for work completed through Phase 1 of the project.