New Round of TNECD Broadband Grant Funding Welcome News for DTC (View video here)

September 20, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The recent announcement that DeKalb Telephone Cooperative is being awarded over $15.6 million in a TNECD grant for the expansion of internet access serving parts of DeKalb and Cannon counties is welcome news for DTC in its efforts in becoming a world-class fiber broadband provider.

The DTC grant award was included in an announcement made last week by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter that the state will fund $446,770,282 in grants for the expansion of internet access across the state of Tennessee.

In his address during the annual meeting Saturday, Chris Townson, CEO of DTC Communications, talked about how far DTC has come in recent years using available financial resources to improve the lives of the people and communities it serves with better broadband and technology solutions.

“If you’ve been around me very long, you’ve probably heard me say, “At DTC, we do everything we do because people matter.” I say it often because it is true. In fact, one of DTC’s core values is People First. It’s in our DNA and has been since the cooperative was founded,” said Townson.

“2021 saw us operating in one of the most demanding years in the cooperative’s history as we worked to benefit our members and the communities we serve. We had hoped that as we closed the chapter on 2020, our communities and our company would emerge from the pandemic, and things would go back to normal. When that did not happen exactly as planned, we longed to get to a new normal. We then discovered that there is likely no new normal; there is just the next normal. And in moving from one normal to the next, we focused even more on putting people first”.

“In the telecommunications industry, we are no strangers to challenges. Technology advancements and an ever-increasing bandwidth demand require combining a forward-thinking posture with responsiveness and flexibility. In the face of supply chain delays, rising costs, and an exponentially increasing customer demand, DTC delivered efficiently and effectively for our members. The following accomplishments represent just a portion of DTC’s total achievements on behalf of its members in 2021″.

•DTC built over 350 miles of mainline fiber network

•We passed 3,500 additional premises with fiber

•We connected more than 5,000 existing and new members and customers to the fiber network

•We met an over 30% increase in bandwidth demand year over year

•DTC provided infrastructure for local county school systems to have ubiquitous broadband connectivity

•We invested in local classrooms, promoting student advancement in video production

•We advanced work on a USDA Reconnect Grant, bringing additional dollars back to cooperative members’ benefit

•We closed out approximately ¾ of the cooperative’s fiber overlay project

•All earnings were reinvested into the cooperative to ensure members receive advanced services as soon as possible and at a reasonable price.”

“Today, we are working as hard as ever to contain costs, reduce the impacts of supply chain issues, and connect our neighbors, friends, and new area residents to a world-class network that provides limitless opportunity. We have been aided in this process by successfully winning:

•2018 TNECD Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act Grant

•2020 TNECD Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund Grant

•2020 USDA ReConnect Program Grant

•2021 FCC RDOF Auction 904 Funding Allocation

•2022 TNECD Emergency Broadband Fund – ARP Grant

•Four – 2022 ARP Grants from the counties we serve.  (The DeKalb County Commission committed $750,000 in ARP funds toward a grant match to help support completion of a fiber infrastructure build in portions of DeKalb County)

“At its core, our mission is to provide broadband and technology solutions that improve lives for our members and the communities we serve. We strive to do what we say, take care of people, partner with our communities, and build a network that will serve our members today and for decades to come. We hope you continue to find us trustworthy, friendly, forward-looking, engaged, and pleasant to do business with,” said Townson.

“It is an exciting time for DTC as we move toward the end of 2022. The map represented in the annual report and on the boards throughout the venue shows past, present, and future fiber build areas. As you can see, we continue working diligently to complete the fiber network. We connect new members and customers daily, and our customer satisfaction rating continues to increase”

“Be assured that your board of directors, company management, and employees are working to put you first, and we appreciate you allowing us to serve you in this capacity. Thank you for being members of DTC Communications,” Townson concluded.

September 20, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb Telephone Cooperative (dba) DTC Communications is being awarded over $15.6 million in a TNECD grant for the expansion of internet access serving parts of DeKalb and Cannon counties. The total comes to $15,627,524.71

The award was included in an announcement made last week by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter that the state will fund $446,770,282 in grants for the expansion of internet access across the state of Tennessee.

In total, the broadband infrastructure grants will provide broadband access to more than 150,000 unserved homes and businesses across 58 counties.

“People are moving to Tennessee from across the nation in record numbers, and we have an obligation to prepare our state for continued growth,” said Governor Bill Lee. “Our strategic investments in broadband infrastructure will ensure our rural communities are connected and have every opportunity to thrive, and I thank the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for managing dollars effectively to serve Tennesseans.”

According to the 2020 Broadband Deployment Report published by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), one in six rural Tennesseans lacks access to broadband. Since 2018, TNECD has awarded nearly $120 million in broadband grants through state and federal funding to serve more than 140,000 Tennessee households.

“To achieve economic growth and prosperity, it’s imperative that Tennessee’s communities have the proper infrastructure in place,” McWhorter said. “Thanks to the $447 million awarded in funding, broadband access will be available to 36 grantees with 75 projects across 58 Tennessee counties, and we look forward to seeing how these grants spur further success among each community.”

The U.S. Department of the Treasury previously defined “unserved areas” as lacking access to a wireless connection capable of minimum speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 3 Mbps upload. However, due to the increasing demands of the digital age, any connection that provides lower than 100 Mbps download speed and 20 Mbps upload speed is now deemed “unserved.” In consideration of this new definition, application priority was still given to those with the lowest internet speeds, but all applications under this new definition of “unserved” were considered.

Funding for these grants comes through the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund – American Rescue Plan (TEBF-ARP), which utilizes a portion of the state’s federal American Rescue Plan funds to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and work toward a strong recovery. Tennessee’s Fiscal Stimulus Accountability Group (FSAG) dedicated $500 million to broadband funding from this program, with more than $446 million going to infrastructure and nearly $50 million going to broadband adoption and digital literacy efforts.

“Our world is increasingly interconnected. In order for Tennesseans to thrive in this interconnected world, broadband internet must be accessible,” said Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R – Oak Ridge). “These grants will greatly expand our broadband footprint in Tennessee giving our citizens the tools to access information, educate themselves and do business like never before. I’m grateful to Governor Lee and Commissioner McWhorter as well Commissioner Eley and my legislative colleagues on the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for directing these dollars to benefit our citizens and our state.”

“Tennessee has experienced considerable growth across all regions of our state over the past decade. Through this significant investment in our broadband infrastructure, more citizens will have the option to access high-speed broadband services at work, in their homes and in schools,” said Speaker Cameron Sexton (R – Crossville). “I appreciate Governor Lee, Lieutenant Governor McNally, Commissioner McWhorter, Commissioner Eley and members of the Fiscal Stimulus Accountability Group for their effective, committed partnership as we all continue working together to increase the reliability of services throughout the state.”

“Broadband is crucial for our rural communities to grow and thrive,” said Senator Bo Watson (R – Hixson).

“Because of our conservative approach to fiscal management, we have the ability to invest in important projects like broadband expansion that will fuel future economic growth. I am confident this investment will yield great returns for our state and its citizens.”

“In today’s world, reliable broadband is as essential as water and electricity,” said Representative Patsy Hazlewood (R – Signal Mountain). “This expansion will be transformative for Tennessee families and businesses by removing barriers to commerce, health care and educational opportunities as well as other necessities of modern life.”

For this round of funding, TNECD received 218 applications requesting over $1.2 billion.

The final grants will be distributed across 75 applications submitted by 36 grantees, all of whom will provide broadband to various unserved regions of Tennessee. These grantees are a range of internet service providers, including electrical and telephone cooperatives, local municipalities, private providers and cable companies. These grant recipients were chosen through a rigorous criterion, which included the need of the grant area, the ability to complete the project and strong community support.

Grantees will provide approximately $331 million in matching funds to complete these projects for a combined investment of $778 million in new broadband infrastructure projects across the state. These projects must be completed within three years.

September 20, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Greenbrook Park has been closed today (Tuesday) and will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday) as city employees work to remove vulgar graffiti spray painted on the amphitheater and playground equipment. It is believed vandals committed the act overnight.

“Due to vandalism Greenbrook Park will be closed til further notice! Any information as to whom might be responsible please contact the Smithville PD,” wrote Mayor Josh Miller on his facebook post.

“We believe the park will be able to re-open on Thursday! I appreciate everyone’s patience and our city employees that never disappoint,” wrote Mayor Miller

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