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Kelly Hancock
Acting Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Kelly Hancock
Acting Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Kelly Hancock
Acting Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
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programs Texas Broadband Development Office

Funding

The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) was established by the state Legislature in 2021 to award grants, low-interest loans and other financial incentives to applicants seeking to expand access to and adoption of broadband service in designated areas determined to be eligible by the office.

Below are current and upcoming funding opportunities for applicants seeking to expand broadband in their territories.

The Pole Replacement Program is supported by $75 million, transferred from the Broadband Infrastructure Fund (BIF) to the Texas Pole Replacement Fund. The program aims to speed up rural broadband deployment by reimbursing a portion of eligible pole-replacement costs. Eligible participants were able to receive reimbursements per pole, ranging from 50% of eligible costs to $5,000, whichever is less. The Texas Broadband Pole Replacement Program Dashboard provides detailed information regarding the administration and availability of program funds.

In November 2023, Texas voters passed Proposition 8, which created the BIF to improve broadband access and services in the state. With an initial investment of $1.5 billion, the BIF will fund 9-1-1 services and upgrades, support the Texas Broadband Pole Replacement Program and provide matching funds for the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The fund will be in effect from 2024 to 2035.

The BDO has allocated up to $200 million from the state’s BIF to award grants to fund projects for the construction and improvement of middle-mile infrastructure across Texas. The TMM Program aims to strengthen network resiliency, support open-access networks to increase affordability for end-users and improve high-speed internet access by reducing the cost of connecting unserved or underserved areas to the internet backbone.

Recognizing the critical demand for a skilled workforce to support Texas’ rapid broadband expansion, the BDO launched the Building the Texas Broadband Workforce Grant Program. Through this initiative, $24.6 million in competitive grants were awarded to seven organizations, enabling them to offer tuition-free pathways to industry-recognized credentials, micro-credentials, and postsecondary degrees — all designed to open doors to broadband careers.

These programs support work-based learning opportunities, including registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and paid work experiences, to ensure participants gain practical skills and secure successful job placements. As a result, an estimated 2,800 Texans will be trained in the expert installation, maintenance and repair of fiber-based broadband networks, strengthening the state’s broadband workforce for years to come.

The BDO has partnered with the Texas Association of Regional Councils to launch the Texas Regional Broadband Program. This initiative is designed to strengthen the capacity of regional councils of governments (COGs) to lead digital opportunity strategies and broadband planning across Texas. Through an $8.75 million investment, each COG will be empowered to drive local planning efforts that support successful broadband adoption and the implementation of digital opportunity initiatives at the regional level.

This initiative is designed to:

  • Build regional capacity for broadband and digital opportunity planning.
  • Foster regional and statewide partnerships.
  • Conduct asset mapping, stakeholder engagement, convenings, workshops and digital inclusion activities.
  • Support development and implementation of a Regional Digital Opportunity Plan tailored to each COG region.

The LCRA Broadband Expansion Project aims to improve broadband connectivity and strengthen flood-monitoring systems across rural Central Texas. The project will extend high-speed fiber infrastructure into underserved areas and upgrade critical flood-monitoring networks.

This investment will help internet providers reach rural communities more affordably and enhance public safety through improved real-time flood data. The project will also support economic development and provide better access to education and healthcare services.

  • Award amount: With funds from the BIF, the BDO awarded LCRA a grant of approximately $29 million to support this initiative.
  • Legislative authority: In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 632, granting LCRA the authority to develop and operate middle-mile broadband infrastructure to close the digital divide in rural Texas.
  • Partners and management: LCRA will build and operate the core fiber network, while private internet service providers will connect to this backbone to deliver broadband directly to homes, businesses and community anchor institutions.

The Bowie County Fiber Ring Project, a collaboration between Texarkana College and Bowie County, Texas, aims to improve broadband connectivity and digital infrastructure in the region.

This high-speed fiber optic network will link key county facilities, including courthouses, law enforcement centers and schools, with broadband speeds of 1 Gigabit or higher. This investment will enhance public safety, education and economic development, promoting long-term regional growth.

Project Funding

Bowie County Fiber Ring Project (XLSX)

Texas has been allocated $500.5 million through CPF to fund critical capital projects that enable work, education and health monitoring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Administered by the U.S. Treasury with funding directed to the BDO, CPF is intended to address many challenges stemming from the pandemic, especially in rural and low- to moderate-income communities, and help ensure all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure, including broadband, needed to access critical services.

The BDO will develop and publish an annual report detailing the progress of CPF funding in Texas each year.

The BOOT Program is funded by $634.8 million in CPF and BIF funds. The program will ensure Texans have the connectivity they need by funding critical broadband infrastructure projects that bring last-mile connectivity to homes and businesses across the state.

The BDO used $6 million in CPF funding to establish TAP, which augments local government and community capacities to prepare for forthcoming state and federal broadband funds.

Any county in Texas seeking technical assistance was eligible to apply to TAP. Those awarded are being provided with direct access to broadband planning and consulting services at no cost.

To further serve community needs for accessing high-quality internet, the BDO has partnered with three state agencies to expand broadband access across the state. The office is using CPF funding to support broadband expansion through the following state agency-driven broadband projects.

  • The Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s (TSLAC) Library Infrastructure and Facility Improvement (LIFI) Grant Program, which was approved by the U.S. Treasury in June 2023, was awarded $7.8 million to expand broadband access to libraries throughout the state.
  • The Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Texas Rural Hospital Broadband Program, which was approved in September 2023, was awarded $22.9 million to build the digital capacity of rural hospitals in Texas.
  • The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) El Paso District Safety Rest Area (SRA) Broadband Infrastructure Project, which was approved in January 2024, was awarded $6 million to add to six safety rest areas in West Texas.

Authorized by the IIJA, the BEAD Program will use up to $3.3 billion in federal funds to support projects that expand high-speed internet access and use. It supports infrastructure deployment, mapping and adoption, including planning and capacity-building in state offices. The program is designed to expand internet access to these priority areas:

  • Unserved locations (speeds less than 25/3 Mbps).
  • Underserved locations (speeds greater than 25/3 Mbps but less than 100/20 Mbps).

Contracts, grants, loans and other financial incentives awarded by the BDO for the deployment of broadband infrastructure may be used only for capital expenses, purchase or lease of property, and other expenses, including backhaul and transport, that will facilitate the provision or adoption of broadband service. Where applicable, an award recipient must make a reasonable effort to restore private property affected by a broadband infrastructure project to the condition the property was in before the beginning of the project.

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