The Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) has announced the results of the 17th round of the Indiana Connectivity Program, featuring $250,749 in new Internet access grants that will connect 63 new locations across 21 counties in The Hoosier State.

The grant awards have been made possible by the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Indiana set aside $30 million of its ARPA grant award specifically to improve Internet access to communities long-trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide.

According to an announcement by the IBO, nine providers received funding during this latest grant round. 

While the grant amounts are relatively small, they’re a big deal to the small independent providers and member-owned cooperatives who received them.

• Auburn Essential Services: received $4,800 for one location
• Decatur County REMC: received $38,400 for eight locations
• Geetingsville Telephone Co.: received $4,800 for one location
• Johnson County REMC: received $9,600 for two locations
• Joink Inc.: received $34,930 for 11 locations
• Mainstream Fiber: received $19,019 for 11 locations
• Mulberry Telecommunications: received $4,800 for one location
• PSC Fiber: received $57,600 for 12 locations
• Surf Internet: received $76,800 for 16 locations

As of Round 17, the state program has allocated over $14 million to provide service to more than 3,600 households, businesses, and community anchor institutions.

Surf Internet and Newton County, Indiana say they’re expanding a public private partnership (PPP) that will extend gigabit fiber access to 97 percent of the county – or roughly 3,839 Newton County households by the end of this year.

According to a joint announcement, Surf will contribute $6.6 million to the new endeavor, with the Newton County Economic Development Commission (EDC) contributing $4 million. The expansion should extend the gigabit network to Lake Township, Lake Village, Roselawn, Thayer and several additional rural areas.

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Surf Internet also provides access in Michigan and Illinois. The ISP’s service speeds and pricing can vary greatly by market, but range from symmetrical 50 Mbps (megabit per second) service for $35 a month, to symmetrical 1 Gbps (gigabit per second) service for anywhere from $70 to $80 per month, with no caps, hidden fees, or long-term contracts.

Surf Internet first came to Newton County in 2020, when it launched a $1.7 million project– funded by the FCC E-Rate program – that brought fiber connections to the North Newton School District. In 2023, Surf Internet expanded that fiber network to 382 Newton County homes as part of Indiana’s $81 million Next Level Connections (NLC) Broadband Grant Program.