Texas middle-mile program awards $113 million in grants

More than $113 million in grants was awarded under the Texas Middle Mile Program, the Texas Broadband Development Office announced. The grants are designed to help strengthen broadband connectivity across the Longhorn state. Funding comes from the state’s broadband infrastructure fund. In 2023, the Texas legislature allocated $1.5 billion to the fund, including $200 million for the TMM Program, which focuses on expanding critical middle‑mile infrastructure that connects backbone networks to last‑mile providers. By expanding this infrastructure, the program is designed to help ease infrastructure gaps in the state’s rural and underserved regions. Another benefit is strengthened network resiliency thanks to better ability to withstand weather‑related and environmental risks, ensuring continuous and stable service. Awardees for the Texas middle-mile grants include:

• City of Brownsville: $21,926,016 for 131 miles of fiber in Cameron County
• City of Kerrville (d.b.a. Kerrville Public Utility Board): $14,797,487 for 11 miles in Kerr County
• Reeves County: $15,442,296 for 85 miles in Reeves County
• Zayo Group, LLC: $21,991,147 for 120 miles in Falls, McLennan, Milam, and Williamson counties
• Zayo Group, LLC: $39,072,176 for 485 miles in Carson, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Dallam, Denton, Gray, Hardeman, Hartley, Montague, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Randall, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Wise counties