LINCOLN- Emily Haxby, who also serves on the Gage County Board, had doubts about the accuracy of federal maps showing areas that were “unserved” by broadband. Using a laptop at her farm near Clatonia, and some help from the state’s public power districts, a rural broadband advocate has uncovered oversights that may brings millions of extra federal dollars to Nebraska to expand high-speed internet service.

Haxby uncovered a dozen homes and businesses in her own rural area that were listed as "served by broadband" but are not. That’s important because a new pile of federal money — $42.45 billion via the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program — is being distributed on the basis of how many “unserved” locations there are in each state compared to other states.

With the help of the Nebraska Public Power District and the Nebraska Rural Electric Association, she found 11,367 farms, homes and other locations across the state that should have been labeled as “unserved” on federal broadband maps. The discovery could mean tens of millions of extra federal dollars for Nebraska to get broadband to unserved areas, according to Pat Pope, the former president/CEO of the Nebraska Public Power District.

For the full article click HERE