Kalona Cooperative Technology Company’s (KCTC) efforts to enhance broadband service in rural Washington County is getting another financial boost from Governor Kim Reynolds.

The governor announced Monday that 14 broadband providers are being awarded over $15.5 million in Empower Rural Iowa broadband grants that impact service in 21 Iowa counties and more than 2,800 homes, schools and businesses. Just over $229,000 is going to KCTC which is in addition to the almost $2 million in CARES Act funding they received in December.

KCTC General Manager Casey Peck says the broadband grants will cover about 35% of the cost for a 5-year project to connect over 300 households to a future-proof fiber network. She says the pandemic made it apparent that broadband service needed more capabilities to handle more internet use, “At any one time (you can have) any cell phone that’s connected to a WiFi network, most people have a laptop or a desktop, especially if you have a business from home, there are many small businesses. We have a lot of farmers in the area that we serve, farming operations and businesses, security cameras, smart TVs, people game. There are lots of scenarios involved and the more people you get on the network the more devices you get on the network.”

Peck says not only are faster internet speeds needed for downloading, but faster upload speeds became necessary with students attending school virtually, plus programs like Zoom or telehealth meetings. The $15 million is the remainder of the $50 million in CARES funding Governor Reynolds designated for broadband grants from a previous round of funding.