Company awarded broadband grant Company awarded broadband grant Company awarded broadband grant Company awarded broadband grant Company awarded broadband grant
MINNEAPOLIS – Lt. Governor Tina Smith and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced that CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE:CTL, news, filings) has been awarded $1.3 million as part of the agency’s Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant program to fund broadband expansion.
CenturyLink will use the grant to add 70 miles of fiber backhaul capacity from Thief Rivers Falls to Roseau. The grant will cover 50 percent of the investment required to add backhaul capacity. This increased capacity will help CenturyLink deliver new technologies and higher internet speeds to more than 5,000 households and 400 businesses in CenturyLink service areas in Baudette, Roseau and Warroad.
“High quality, reliable broadband is a critical part of what northwest Minnesota needs to compete and prosper in the years ahead,” said Rep. Dan Fabian. “The broadband grants and network investments by CenturyLink and the State of Minnesota will strengthen our connectivity and expand economic opportunities.”
The Border-to-Border grant, along with CenturyLink’s participation in the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund (CAF) program, will allow CenturyLink to offer faster connection speeds as part of its commitment to bring broadband to rural areas of Minnesota. The CAF program requires CenturyLink to deploy broadband to more than 114,000 locations in FCC-designated high-cost census blocks in Minnesota over a six-year period.
Construction on the project will begin later this year and, depending on location, a variety of speeds may be available once the work is complete. Customers can check service availability in their area by calling CenturyLink at 763-421-9373 to speak with a representative or by visiting www.centurylink.com.
About CenturyLink
CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, big data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink.com for more information.
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