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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><img width="625" height="147" style="width:6.5069in;height:1.5277in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D67D3A.D31740E0"></span></b><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">August 28, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans"">Nearly $50 million awarded for broadband projects to support remote learning, economic development<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced today the Idaho Department of Commerce awarded $48.9 million in federal coronavirus relief funds for 102 projects across Idaho that support improved
broadband infrastructure, equipment, and services.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">The grants help fund broadband connectivity for more than 43,000 underserved households, the majority of which are in rural communities of less than 3,000 residents. Public safety and local government
entities received 23 of the 102 grants awarded.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">“In the short-term, this investment in broadband connectivity will assist with our ongoing COVID-19 response by supporting student remote learning, telehealth, work-from-home opportunities in more
parts of the state, and improved government services,” Governor Little said. “In the long-term, we will see better opportunities for economic development in underserved parts of Idaho.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">The grant program provides funding resources for broadband infrastructure investment and associated equipment for underserved households, public safety organizations, local governments, and medical
clinics and hospital facilities. The priority was to fund projects that serve communities of less than 3,000 persons and/or communities that are unserved with 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload or less speeds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Idaho Commerce began accepting grant applications on June 29, 2020, and received 137 applications requesting $83 million in grant funding. The applications were then posted for public comment and
additional review.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a name="_Hlk47966214"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">"We appreciate the $50 million in CARES Act funding approved by the Governor's Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee for new Idaho broadband infrastructure in areas identified
by the Governor's Broadband Task Force last year," said Commerce Director Tom Kealey. "These projects will help many rural communities and tens of thousands of households with new high-speed internet service for remote learning, working, local government services
and telehealth access.”<o:p></o:p></span></a></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk47966214"></span>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">For more information and a complete list of all awards, visit
<a href="https://commerce.idaho.gov/broadband/">https://commerce.idaho.gov/broadband/</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""># # #</span><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">208-943-1686 or <a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov">
marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">--<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Open Sans""><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D"><i>Sign up to receive
news from Governor Little</i></a><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-family:"Open Sans"">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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