OCALA, FL (352today.com) -On July 7, Governor Ron DeSantis announced more than $247 million would be awarded to various counties and municipalities throughout Florida as part of the Broadband Infrastructure Program. This program will connect more than 59,000 unserved and underserved businesses, homes, farms and anchor institutions such as hospitals and libraries to high-speed internet.

According to a press release shared by the governor’s office, these awards are in addition to more than $226 million in Broadband Opportunity Grant Funding already awarded to 53 counties awards to expand broadband Internet access to unserved areas across the state, connecting more than 250,000 homes and businesses.

“High-speed broadband Internet is important infrastructure for Florida communities and will generate economic development activity and a talented labor force,” Governor DeSantis said in the press release. “Florida is proud to make investments in broadband Internet infrastructure that will benefit all Floridians and make long-term impacts in communities across the state.”

Here’s what the Marion County region received:

  1. Cities of Archer, Hawthorne and Micanopy – ($21,290,000) to add 783 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 5,799 unserved locations within Alachua, Marion and Putnam counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1GB.
  2. Marion County – ($4,779,127) to add 88 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 935 unserved locations within Marion and Putnam counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1GB.
  3. Unincorporated area of Silver Springs Shores and the unincorporated community of Ocklawaha – ($15,841,522) to add 231 miles of fiber optic cable to provide 3,296 unserved locations within Marion and Lake counties with symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1GB.

This funding is a direct result of the community’s responses to the eCheckup questions shared by Marion County in 2022, and this expansion of broadband service will continue to help reach unserved and underserved residents throughout the county.

For more information about the Marion County Broadband Initiative, please visit: MarionFL.org/Broadband.