Hawarden, Iowa — Rural Homes in and near the Big Sioux River area of Sioux County will be able to take advantage of high-speed internet via fiber optics, thanks in part to a grant announced on Friday at a farm near Hawarden.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey was on hand on Friday morning to announce that the USDA has invested $7.2 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for rural households and farms in Iowa and South Dakota. Premier Communications Sales and Marketing Manager, Scott Te Stroete tells us more.
Northey says, “Technology and innovation are key in meeting the growing demand in agriculture. Our mission to increase rural prosperity cannot be achieved without addressing the digital divide our rural communities face because of a lack of high-speed broadband Internet.”
Te Stroete says it will be a fiber-to-the-premises broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of one-gigabit upload and download speeds. The funded service areas include 868 households, 17 businesses and 27 farms.
Te Stroete tells us where the project will take place.
He says it’s a multi-million-dollar project.
According to Te Stroete, the towns of Westfield and Chatsworth will also receive high-speed fiber optic capability. The towns of Akron and Hawarden, which are also in the area already have that capability, says Te Strote. He gives us an idea of the timeline of the project.
He says this area is one of the last parts of their service area to receive these types of internet speeds.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was also on hand for the announcement. She emphasized the importance of investing in infrastructure projects, such as this, especially those that improve rural connectivity.
