OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Tens of millions of dollars in federal grants will help fund Oklahoma broadband infrastructure projects that will expand high-speed internet access to far away homes and businesses.
The Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board awarded the ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund grants to five internet service providers for 19 middle-mile infrastructure projects, according to officials with the Oklahoma Broadband Office.
“Middle-mile funding is a smart investment that lowers costs and creates new opportunities for broadband expansion in rural Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma Broadband Office Executive Director Mike Sanders. “It’s the result of strong statewide collaboration and a shared commitment to ensuring every community can compete and grow in the digital age.”
Oklahoma companies receiving the funds will contribute $36.2 million into the projects, bringing the total investment to $89.6 million.
The projects will help bring broadband to homes, businesses and community anchor institutions that are hard-to-serve last-mile connections, according to Oklahoma Broadband officials.
Broadband middle-mile infrastructure connects major internet hubs to local networks, acting as a sort digital highway system. It brings internet close enough to local providers, enabling those providers to complete last-mile connections to neighborhoods.
Broadband Governing Board Chairman Jim Meek said middle-mile funding is essential to reaching hard-to-serve areas of the state.
“Investing in middle-mile infrastructure is a priority for rural Oklahoma, connecting our underserved communities to the backbone of the internet,” Meek said. “Our focus remains on the areas in most need of service availability. These projects lay the foundation for lasting economic growth, educational access and improved healthcare across the state.”
Oklahoma Broadband received 72 proposals requesting a combined $224 million in middle-mile grants. High demand limited funding to 24 cents awarded for every dollar requested.
Providers that received the grants have until October 2026 to complete their respective projects, according to Oklahoma Broadband officials.
Oklahoma Broadband is already overseeing more than $750 million in broadband expansion projects, with at least one project set to be built in 59 of the state’s 77 counties. The office awarded a combined 180 projects to provide high-speed internet access to around 70,000 homes and businesses.
The state is accepting applications for $768 million in Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grants dedicated to completing high-speed internet access buildout across Oklahaoma.
