The State of Florida has recently awarded $853,000 to a broadband provider (name not released at the time of this article) to expand internet access in the City of Laurel Hill, Unincorporated Deerland and Svea, and areas of Unincorporated Okaloosa County. 

• Governor Ron DeSantis announced this second round of awards through the Broadband Opportunity Program on April 10, 2023, as part of a larger $22 million investment aimed at expanding broadband access in Florida’s underserved communities.

This announcement comes after an earlier investment of $144 million, bringing Florida’s total investment in broadband expansion to $166 million, which impacts over 193,000 homes and businesses across 47 counties in the state.

Governor DeSantis stated, “Investing in reliable internet infrastructure strengthens local economies and opens up new opportunities for students, businesses, and families. I am happy to award this $22 million to support Florida’s small and rural communities, and I look forward to making more awards in the future that expand internet access to all Floridians.”

The Broadband Opportunity Program is administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and aims to fund the installation and deployment of broadband internet infrastructure in unserved communities. The program is designed to provide valuable access to telehealth, economic, educational, and workforce development opportunities, contributing to a brighter future for all Floridians.

In Laurel Hill, Unincorporated Deerland and Svea, and Unincorporated areas of Okaloosa County, the $853,000 grant will be used to add 103.5 miles of fiber optic cable to the existing network. This expansion will provide 831 unserved locations within Okaloosa County with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1GB, significantly improving internet connectivity for these areas.

In addition to the Okaloosa County project, seven other projects have also been awarded funds through the Broadband Opportunity Program. These include:

• City of Live Oak ($5,000,000)
• City of Madison and Town of Lee ($5,000,000)
• Cities of Monticello and Perry; Unincorporated Lamont and Wacissa ($5,000,000)
• Unincorporated Allentown and Wallace; Chumukla and Pace ($3,353,384)
• City of Plant City; Unincorporated Balm, Keysville, Lithia, and Wimauma ($906,000)
• City of San Antonio, Land O Lakes and Shady Hills, and Unincorporated Pasco County ($2,003,815)
• City of Dade City, Crystal Springs, Dade City North, Lacoochee, Richland, Zephyrhills North, Zephyrhills South, and Unincorporated Pasco County ($578,531)