Five communications companies — including BEK Communications Cooperative; Halstad Telephone Co.; MLGC; Polar Communications; and Red Red River Communications — took part in Monday's event, which underscored more than $119 million worth of fiber broadband expansion that is being funded by state and federal funding sources, including President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act.
Will McIntee, White House senior advisor for public engagement, described the effort Monday as "an opportunity to celebrate with the partners that are doing the hard work of implementing these programs and really see how the president's agenda is investing in communities across North Dakota."
McIntee said in addition to the American Rescue Plan Act, other federal dollars going to broadband expansion in North Dakota are coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Biden signed in 2021, which will provide billions of dollars to help ensure high-speed Internet access across the country.
Another speaker at the event, Karl Blake, CEO of Polar Communications, said the aim of the communications companies taking part was to make sure every resident of North Dakota has access to high-speed broadband.
" North Dakota has always been the most connected state in America. With these recent funds, we'll be that much closer to 100% connectivity," Blake added.
Polar Communications will receive about $49 million in state and federal dollars to help it expand Internet connectivity in North Dakota.
The approximate amount of state and federal funding the other communications companies will receive include:
- BEK Communications Cooperative: $21 million.
- Halstad Telephone Co.: $12 million.
- MLGC: $31 million.
- Red River Communications: $5 million.
U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R- N.D., who also spoke at Monday's event, said "North Dakota was broadband before broadband was cool," adding that he worked for passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because it supports things like highways and Internet access, which he said help North Dakota feed the world.
"Those who are friends of mine who might wonder why is the federal government so prominent in all of this; it's because we have this incredible responsibility here in the center of the North American continent, where we make big things, and important things, critical things for people who need them," Cramer said.
Clay Erdmann, regional sales manager for Mustang Seeds, said the company will be able to run "much more efficiently with a reliable, faster (Internet) connection."
©2023 the Grand Forks Herald, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
