A $13.67 million grant from Madison County will bring high-speed fiber internet directly to homes, creating new job and education opportunities.
Construction is expected to begin this spring.
“The biggest benefit is more jobs and higher salaries without having to leave the county,” Sen. Doug Ricks, vice chairman of the Idaho Broadband Advisory Committee, said in a press release.
Grant match funding from Madison County and Fibercom brings total project funding to $17.6 million.
The county wanted to make sure residents understood that this would not increase local taxes.
The most successful model for large-scale public projects is collaboration between private and public organizations. Madison County and Fibercom’s partnership, among others. That was a key factor in winning the grant in Madison County, said Ramon Hobley-Sanchez, Idaho Broadband Program Manager.
Students studying with MC. Photo credit: Cat Menlove
Fybercom will build the infrastructure, but other providers will also be able to lease it. This ensures competition and lowers prices.
Hobley-Sanchez expects construction to begin early this spring.
The terms of the grant state that all projects must be completed by December 2026.
This fiber connects directly to your home, making it a type of fiber known as ‘fiber to the home or premises’.
“This is the holy grail of fiber connectivity,” Katherine McNally told reviews.org.
This grant was created under HR 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which directed the use of $10 billion from the U.S. Treasury for communities that currently lack reliable internet access.
The Capitol Project Fund grant program description asserts that affordable, quality internet access is increasingly important for access to jobs, education, social services, and civic life.
Skybridge students. Photo credit: Cat Menlove
The Idaho Broadband Advisory Council will be responsible for distributing the $125 million received from the grant.
The lowest monthly price currently available for broadband internet in Madison County is $39.99, according to data from the Capitol Project Fund grant application.
100% of the workforce to build the broadband infrastructure will be based in Idaho.
Surrounding cities of Ammon and Idaho Falls have already successfully installed fiber internet.
“This leaves a lasting legacy…The internet is good for everyone,” Hobley-Sanchez said.
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