Pilot broadband cost overrun grant

The Midvale Telephone Exchange (MTE Communications) received a $1.15 million Project Grant award from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service on April 6, 2023 to support broadband infrastructure improvements through April 6, 2025. The funding will support MTE's delivery of broadband internet access to rural areas of Midvale, Idaho under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loans and Grants program. This federal grant program aims to expand the use of telecommunications technologies like broadband internet to provide educational and healthcare services to rural communities through distance learning and telemedicine projects. Specifically, the award will assist MTE in addressing cost overruns for a pilot project to extend broadband infrastructure to underserved areas of Midvale, helping to close the digital divide and bring telehealth and online educational opportunities to more rural residents.