Franklin ahead of broadband expansion

RUSSELLVILLE — While much of Alabama is still working to expand internet access, Franklin County has already finished the job. State leaders recently approved nearly $460 million in broadband funding through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. The money will help bring high speed internet to about 92,000 unserved locations across the state.

But Franklin County was not included in the latest round of funding because officials say it no longer needs funding.

Local leaders say the county is ahead of the curve after completing its broadband expansion through a mix of state grants, local funding and partnerships.

State Rep. Jamie Kiel said those efforts took years of coordination.

“We now have broadband in Franklin County because two government entities and two electric cooperatives worked together to get it done,” Kiel said. “I was able to secure an ADECA grant of almost $4 million in 2021 to start the expansion. Judge [Barry] Moore and the Franklin County Commission invested another $5 million of their ARPA funding into broadband. Finally, Franklin Electric worked with Tombigbee Electric to make it possible for Freedom Fiber to serve the county.”

Commission Chair Moore said the county used most of its federal pandemic relief funds to complete the project.

“Franklin County used $5 million of the $6.1 million we received in ARPA funding to have broadband ran throughout the entire county in 2024,” Moore said.

The latest round of state funding, announced by Gov. Kay Ivey, will support 63 projects in other parts of Alabama that still lack reliable internet service. The plan has been approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.