LINCOLN- The Nebraska Public Serice Commission is being asked to reconsider its granting of $535,500 to provide high-speed internet service to Beatrice after Nextlink Internet, which was previously hired by Gage County to expand high-speed internet in the area, argued that the grant was duplicating its work and is an inefficient use of taxpayer funds.

Emily Haxby, a member of the Gage County Board, altered the PSC to the duplication, saying also that such an "overlap" of funding is a waste of government grants that are intended to provide broadband to areas that lack high-speed service. "These are taxpayer dollars," said Haxby, "That money should be devoted to people who don't have internet."

In response, the PSC's telecommunication department director, Cullen Robbins, said the situation is complicated. Robbins said that there is a formal process to challenge grant awards, but that Nextlink failed to file. "We try to make sure that we're not overlapping funding to build out similar networks to the same location," said Robbins, "That being said, we rely on the participating companies to be diligent and follow the process in place."

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