Nixon supports broadband expansion proposals

SBJ Staff A dozen proposals to expand broadband Internet access in underserved parts of Missouri are getting support from Gov. Jay Nixon. The proposals are part of MoBroadbandNow, a five-year program launched last summer that coordinates funding efforts from the federal departments of Agriculture and Commerce, both of which have set aside stimulus money for broadband expansion. Local proposals on the list of supported projects: • Marshfield-based Sho-Me Technologies plans to build a middle-mile network in central and south-central Missouri; • SpringNet, a division of City Utilities of Springfield, would expand its broadband offerings to customers in the metropolitan Springfield area; and • Finally Broadband of Seymour would provide broadband to households and businesses in south-central Missouri. Nixon also supported a proposal from the Missouri Department of Higher Education to create 23 public computing centers at seven community colleges, including Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield. Those centers would provide access to technology staff and offer courses in basic digital literacy, along with training for tech careers. "These proposals were closely reviewed, and we identified the ones we believe are most likely to receive federal funding and most closely aligned with the vision of MissouriBroadbandNow," Nixon said in a news release. "This public–private cooperation will carry lasting benefits in bringing high-speed communication to Missourians across the state." The supported projects' applications now go to the federal government for potential funding.