A new broadband initiative is taking shape in Kansas, and the groundbreaking ceremony will be held in Emporia later this month.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has announced the Freestate Middle Mile network will break ground at Emporia State University’s Cremer Hall on June 18.
In broad terms, the program is designed to ending or reducing digital gaps across Kansas. The network, which is publicly funded and owned, according to Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland, is focused on expanding access in rural areas; augmenting public safety, transportation and other community services; and beginning fiber leasing opportunities for local providers later this year.
A nearly $43 million federal grant from the National Telecommunication and Information Administration is funding this new venture.
Groundbreaking is at 10 am June 18. Registration is required by June 11 to attend.
