7 DSM Organizations Awarded Broadband Grant Funding

The Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program has announced funding awards for Broadband Infrastructure Projects thanks to allocated funds from the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund. This round of grants will help increase internet accessibility in areas that have been digitally underserved, and in total, make available more than $148 Million for broadband expansion in Iowa.

The following organizations in Greater Des Moines (DSM) were awarded Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant funding:

• Mediacom received $19 Million in total funding to support Runnells, Van Meter, Earlham and Winterset.
• Panora Communications received more than $7.7 Million in total funding to support Guthrie County.
• Casey Mutual Telephone Company received $4,798,582. This awarded project will support Madison and Dallas Counties.
• Coon Valley Cooperative Telephone Association received $2,261,235. This awarded project will support Adair County.
• Interstate Cablevision received $3,988,276. This awarded project will support Warren and Madison Counties.
• Minburn Telephone Company received $1,994,073. This awarded project will support Dallas County.
• MiFiber received $2,666,804. This awarded project will support Polk, Madison and Dallas Counties.

Read the blog post that recaps the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Public Policy Issue Forum featuring panelists discussing rural development, including Katie Lord, with MidAmerican Energy Company, and Liesl Seabert, with Iowa Economic Development Authority for more information.

Questions related to the Broadband Grant Program should be directed to ociogrants@iowa.gov.

The Partnership's Public Policy team engages with local, state and federal officials to create public policy that generates economic growth, business prosperity and talent development in Greater Des Moines (DSM). The Partnership is a nonpartisan organization.