LINCOLN - The Nebraska Public Service Commission awarded $17.8 million in grants to internet providers through the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program to connect nearly 12,400 homes across the state to high-speed internet.

The commission approved 60 grant applications from 19 companies after a 4-1 vote due to Commissioner Crystal Rhoades' dissent. The program, created by the Legislature in 2021, is two years in duration.

Per Governor Pete Ricketts's request, Senator Curt Friesen of Henderson sponsored the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act (LB388) which appropriated $40 million over two years to increase access to broadband with capabilities of uploading/downloading at 100/100 megabits per second (Mbps).

"I'm really happy with what we ended up doing and how the process worked for the time we had," said Commissioner Dan Watermeier, who represents eight counties in Southeast Nebraska.

A review of the 76 applications, totaling $31 million, began in November according to Watermeier.

Some providers who claimed to already be providing internet service, or already had a plan to provide high-speed internet service in the near future, criticized the commission.

A total of seven projects were challenged due to their overlapping with another company's existing service area where fiber is being installed, or where a fiber project was planned.

Despite the 4-1 vote, both those who supported it and the commissioner who voted against it agreed that changes will need to be made for future grant cycles.

Specifically, Rhoades said the commission denied too many grants as a result of relying on incomplete information.

Instead of showing which locations in a project area were served by what download and upload speeds, the challenging companies submitted maps that showed the route the high-speed fiber line took through a community, she said.

By not showing which homes had access to 100/20 Mbps, Rhoades said the challengers' maps often supported the application more than their own appeal and urged the commission to re-review all of the challenges.

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