Author Archives: accsstg

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Just over a month after being awarded $1.4 billion in federal dollars to expand its broadband access, the state of Alabama is gearing up to dole out those dollars with a new initiative aimed at providing internet access across the state.

Dubbed ‘Be Linked Alabama,’ the new initiative was announced Tuesday by Gov. Kay Ivey during a speech in Dothan, where she announced how more than $400 million in federal funding, as well as the aforementioned $1.4 billion, will be used to expand access to high-speed internet across Alabama, particularly in its more rural areas.

“Providing broadband connectivity to every Alabamian, whether it be in our largest metros or most rural areas, has been a top priority of the Ivey Administration since day one,” Ivey said.

“As we launch Be Linked Alabama today, we are furthering our commitment to fully connecting our state. Offering the ability to connect to high-speed internet in all 67 counties is a journey, not a short trip, but Alabama is certainly well positioned to finish this race in the near future.”

At approximately $182 million, the first round of expenditures will come from the state’s Capital Projects Fund, which will be used to support ‘last-mile’ broadband projects, which provide the final step in actually connecting homes, business and institutions. The first round of grant applications for these funds will open next week and close in October.

Ivey also announced that more than $200 million in funding, which came from the American Rescue Plan Act and was allocated by the State Legislature this past session, will be used to fund the state’s new Anchor Institution/Middle Mile program, which will potentially serve 500 anchor facilities, such as universities, hospitals and government facilities. Unlike ‘last-mile’ projects, these projects target the ‘middle-mile,’ which provides the infrastructure needed for broadband access before actually connecting homes and businesses.

Application dates for grants for the Anchor Institution/Middle Mile program will be announced next week.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is in charge of overseeing the implementation of broadband expansion in the state. Regarding the $1.4 billion in federal funding, ADECA has until Dec. 23, 2023 to submit its plan to the federal government as to how it plans to use those funds to expand broadband access.

“Our state has already made tremendous progress on our journey to expand high-speed internet availability by providers, but we still have a long way to go,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell.

“Be Linked Alabama represents the progress that we have made, and the continued progress still to come. The funding announced today will have a lasting impact on Alabama’s future, and I am proud to have the opportunity to administer the deployment of these funds in a manner that will give our state the maximum benefit.”

Alabama has invested $88.6 million through grant awards for broadband expansion since 2018, with an estimated 82,000 households, businesses and institutions expected to have internet access once already awarded projects are complete.

Alabama’s Community College System made their own announcement shortly following Ivey’s, calling on jobseekers to consider participating in its Skills for Success classes, a series of no-cost workforce training programs launched in 2022.

“The Alabama Community College System is continually working alongside business, industries, employers and community partners as a solution to increasing Alabama’s labor force participation rate,” said Jimmy Baker, Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System.

More than 5,000 Alabamians have registered for the Skills for Success classes since its launch, which feature fiber optics technician and installer training, as well as training for other industries such as hospitality, trucking and construction.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – An update on how a free training course for bus drivers is helping school districts across Alabama.

That free course through the Alabama Community College System is the first step in drivers getting a license to drive a school bus. It’s a vital position that so many districts still need to fill.

Since announcing their free training, the Alabama Community College System has helped 115 school districts.

ACCS courses are funded through the state legislature, which allows them to offer no cost training for people looking to become bus drivers.

Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced how more than $400 million in federal funding and over $1.4 billion from the U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) will be allocated to expand access to high-speed internet across Alabama.

At Tuesday’s event in Dothan, Governor Ivey also unveiled Be Linked Alabama as the name and hub representing the state’s continued efforts to expand access to high- speed internet.

“Providing broadband connectivity to every Alabamian, whether it be in our largest metros or most rural areas, has been a top priority of the Ivey Administration since day one,” said Gov. Ivey. “As we launch Be Linked Alabama today, we are furthering our commitment to fully connecting our state. Offering the ability to connect to high-speed internet in all 67 counties is a journey, not a short trip, but Alabama is certainly well positioned to finish this race in the near future.”

The new brand comes alongside massive investments by the federal government into broadband expansion in Alabama. The American Rescue Plan Act funds were allocated by the Alabama Legislature in 2022 and 2023 special sessions to support expansion of high-speed internet to unserved areas of the state.

Gov. Ivey announced the upcoming opening of grant applications for the $182 million from the Capital Projects Fund to support “last-mile” projects that provide the actual connections to homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions. The application period is expected to open on August 14 and close in October.

The state’s new Anchor Institution/Middle Mile (AIMM) program will be funded with the second round of American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated earlier this year. More than

$200 million will support this effort, which will potentially serve 500 anchor facilities – including institutions such as colleges and universities, rural hospitals, and government facilities that are inadequately served, along with “middle-mile” deployment that will provide the infrastructure to help facilitate last-mile deployment by internet service providers. The application dates for AIMM program will be announced at a workshop on Friday, August 11.

Be Linked Alabama represents the state’s united effort to expand access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet to all Alabamians. The statewide initiative is coordinated by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and brings together partners from across the state, including but not limited to Governor Ivey, the Alabama Legislature, internet service providers, research institutions, utility companies, community leaders and the public as Alabama works toward achieving the goal of high- speed internet access for all.

The Governor introduced that Be Linked Alabama website, a hub of internet expansion information and news. It includes the Alabama Broadband Map, county profiles and dashboards, and statewide broadband news.

Kenneth Boswell is the Director of ADECA.

“We have a great team in Alabama that includes public officials such as our governor and members of the Legislature, private sector companies, citizens, local leaders, and communities all joining together with a common goal – to give every Alabamian the ability to be connected,” said Director Boswell. “Our state has already made tremendous progress on our journey to expand high-speed internet availability by providers, but we still have a long way to go. Be Linked Alabama represents the progress that we have made and the continued progress still to come.”

“The funding announced today will have a lasting impact on Alabama’s future, and I am proud to have the opportunity to administer the deployment of these funds in a manner that will give our state the maximum benefit,” said Boswell. “Every dollar counts, and we are going to deploy these dollars efficiently to help make Governor Ivey’s goal of giving all Alabamians access to high-speed internet a reality.”

Along with the massive influx of federal funds, since 2018, the state of Alabama has invested $88.6 million in state dollars through grant awards supporting 109 projects through the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund.

Once all the projects awarded to date have been completed, internet service will be available to more than 82,000 Alabama households, businesses, and community institutions that do not have access to high-speed internet. In September 2022, Governor Ivey announced a grant to support broadband “middle-mile” network infrastructure to improve access for last-mile projects.

In June, Governor Ivey announced that Alabama would receive an additional $1.4 billion from the federal BEAD Program to boost ongoing efforts to expand access to unserved areas. ADECA will complete and submit Alabama’s required plan for using those funds to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Tuesday’s announcement included a demonstration from students trained at the Wallace Community College campus on how to deploy the fiber optic cables needed for high-speed internet delivery. This training was developed through the Alabama Community College System’s Innovation Center. The Innovation Center brings together the state’s community colleges, industries, and community partners to deliver training offered at no cost to participants thanks to funding provided by Ivey and the Alabama Legislature.

Ivey has made broadband expansion a priority of her administration. State Senator Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) and State Representative Randall Shedd (R) have carried her rural broadband package of bills in the Alabama Legislature.

DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) – A local college is giving people the opportunity to get hands-on training for the workforce.

Enterprise State Community College invited some students from Coffee County to participate in their Skills for Success program. The Skills for Success program offers a chance for people to expand their career opportunities, allowing participants to try a variety of careers they may not have previously considered.

“I like seeing other people and other students being able to come out here and get the opportunity to learn a new experience,” said Jackson Dowdy, a student at Zion Chapel High School.

While hands-on experience is great, that’s not the only benefit.

“It is available at no cost to the participants, thanks to Alabama legislature,” said Leigh Shiver, Director of Workforce Development at ESCC.

Though high school students were in the dirt Wednesday morning, the programs are available to anyone.

ESCC offers a variety of focuses, including heavy machinery, CDLs, mental healthcare and more.

Their reputation can be seen throughout the state.

“We have trained more than 3,500 Alabamians,” said Shiver.

Spencer Scanlon, an instructor for Skills for Success, participated in the heavy machinery program when he was in school. Now, he’s helping teach the next wave of students.

“We always need doctors, lawyers, you know, people that make the world go round,” said Scanlon. “We also need people to build those doctors’ offices or those lawyers’ offices or whatever the case may be.”

Not everyone who comes through the program will join a related career, but Shiver said these programs offer something textbooks can’t.

“It’s hard to find qualified individuals to fill some of today’s jobs,” said Shiver. “These students are leaving with a credential that’s industry-recognized, so it’s putting more credentialed workers back into the workforce and help filling some of those labor shortages.”