The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced $101 million in new grant funding to advance critical community infrastructure and services across the state. This substantial investment aims to strengthen local economies, enhance quality of life, and create equitable access to essential resources for Tennesseans.
A major focus of this round of funding is to expand broadband access, providing connectivity to underserved regions through the Last Mile Grant, an initiative that will deliver high-speed internet directly to homes and businesses currently without service.
With an allocation from this grant, approximately 2,580 households and businesses in Roane County will receive access to high-quality broadband, closing crucial connectivity gaps in these areas.
Through partnerships with Comcast and Spectrum Southeast, the Last Mile Grant will extend reliable, high-speed internet to the doorsteps of eligible households and businesses, bridging the digital divide and ensuring access to online resources for education, work, healthcare, and communication.
“We continue to make significant strides in expanding access to high-speed internet statewide, investing more than $816 million in broadband infrastructure and broadband adoption since Gov. Lee took office in 2019,” said Commissioner McWhorter. “High-quality job training starts with access to high-speed internet, and this latest investment will help us further prepare Tennesseans for the jobs of the future.”
“Finding partners to help solve the problem of lack of broadband service for so many of our people in Roane County has been a top priority for over two years. Many people have worked tirelessly to see this effort through. They put Roane County in the best position to be eligible for these funds,” said Wade Creswell, Roane County Executive. “Thank you to Governor Lee, Commissioner McWhorter and his staff, Senator Yager and Representative Fritts, and to the providers who applied for this funding. Finally, the challenge to provide high-speed internet access to all of our people has been achieved.”
For more information on the grant program or to see a complete list of funding recipients, please visit tnecd.com.