LINCOLN- Last week, the U.S. Department of Treasury awarded almost $90 million to Nebraska for rural broadband expansion, but according to Gov. Ricketts, two other federal programs were approved that will bring that number closer to $200 million. Ricketts announced the news on Wednesday, stating that broadband is, to him, "basic infrastructure" that is crucial for rural Nebraskans.

Even better, Ricketts also claimed that, depending on rural demand, there are other grants that may be awarded to the state based on need, increasing the federal funds even more.

All three of the programs came as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021. The bill was signed into law last November by President Biden, and received hefty criticism from Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon, and even received a 'No' vote from Sen. Ben Sasse and Rep. Adrian Smith.

The additional funds will be utilized to educate the public on how they can sign up to get internet access. On Monday, a new website will launch to make it easy to sign up and find resources. State Broadband Coordinator Patrick Redmond called the website a "one-stop shop" for all broadband programs and information.

Ricketts stated that his team is unaware of how many more citizens the additional funding will help, and that much of the work being is done is just the "planning stages."

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