Ron DeSantis held a press conference at the South Florida State College Hardee Campus earlier today. The governor announced an investment of around $223 million, continuing the expansion of broadband access in rural areas.
“This’ll be something that’ll be a collaboration of $135 million from our own state broadband opportunity program. That’ll do more than 27 thousand homes, schools, businesses and community facilities and then we’re gonna take $86 million from the federal multipurpose community facility program,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis and other speakers highlighted online schooling, telehealth, and job interviews as opportunities made accessible by supplying broadband to these areas.
DeSantis said this would fund 54 projects in 33 counties and presented a ceremonial 4 million dollar check to Hardee County. The Florida governor said the state broadband opportunity program has now contributed almost $700 million to all but four Florida counties.