Madison, Wisconsin-based TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS) announced it was awarded a $12.9 million grant from the coffers of the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund – American Rescue Plan.
The broadband grant will help fund a broadband expansion project to deliver 1,000Mbps/1Gig internet speeds to rural residents of Monroe County, Tennessee.
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development has been awarding grants utilizing federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to bring faster internet speeds to unserved and underserved areas in the state.
The broadband grant is TDS’ largest individual broadband grant to date. The grant will help fund a fiber-to-the-home project to upgrade services to 3,709 locations.
According to a press release, the grant application received hundreds of letters of support from the area; many residents said the increase in internet speeds is desperately needed.
Under the program parameters, the project must be completed by the end of August 2025.
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“TDS is pleased to receive support on this impactful project that will greatly benefit homes and businesses in rural areas of Monroe County. We would like to thank the grant evaluators for recognizing the value of TDS’ application.” -- Drew Petersen, senior vice president of corporate relations, TDS
"Monroe County is very excited to partner with our friends at TDS once again to provide much needed infrastructure in underserved communities in our county. Thank you to the State of Tennessee for having the confidence in us to be good stewards of these grant monies.” -- Monroe County Mayor Mitch IngramTDS Telecom employs 3,100 people and is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS), a Fortune 1000 company. Founded in 1969, Telephone and Data Systems provides wireless, broadband, video and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million connections nationwide through its businesses: UScellular, TDS Telecom, and OneNeck IT Solutions.
Powered by fiber-optics and new technologies, TDS delivers up to 2 Gigabit internet speeds and offers internet-protocol based TV entertainment solutions along with traditional phone services. TDS also offers businesses VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, data networking, and hosted-managed services.