MidSouth Electric Co-op gets $6.18 million grant for rural broadband

MidSouth Electric Co-op is getting millions in a federal grant to help bring highspeed internet to rural communities.

In an announcement Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded MidSouth $6.18 million in grant money to deploy fiber across the co-op's network of utility poles. The release said this would enhance electric reliability and open the doors to expanding rural broadband access.

MidSouth said the addition of fiber on their utility poles will allow them to modernize their operations, enhance response times during an outage, and improve reliability. The fiber-optic cable will be installed on poles that are currently inside the co-op's Rights of Way.

In the release, Midsouth said the addition of fiber will allow them to start providing reliable fiber internet service to communities they serve. Anyone interested in fiber internet service should pre-register online. You can find a link to that website in the Related Links section.

The grant is part of the USDA Broadband Reconnect Program. It was created to bridge the digital divide in rural America.