Texas Awards $29 Million Grant to Lower Colorado River Authority

The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) has awarded a $29 million grant to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities and strengthen flood-monitoring systems across Central Texas. The investment will help internet providers reach rural Texans more affordably, expand and harden flood-monitoring infrastructure, and extend fiber deeper into underserved areas, boosting local economies while improving access to education, health care, and emergency services. The project builds on authority granted by the Texas Legislature in 2021 through Senate Bill 632, which authorized LCRA to develop and operate middle-mile broadband infrastructure to help close the digital divide in rural Texas. Under this model, LCRA builds and operates the core fiber network, while private internet service providers connect to it and deliver service directly to homes, businesses and institutions.