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Miami-Cass REMC hosts Indiana leaders at event
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Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch shares broadband announcement By Michelle Boswell mboswell@thepaperofmiami.com Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch arrived at Miami-Cass REMC Thursday, April 28, to mark an important achievement that will benefit thousands of residents and businesses in Indiana, including Miami County. Broadway Broadband Powered by MiamiCass REMC is installing fiber in the Miami County area to bring high speed internet to unserved and underserved locations in Miami and Cass counties. In the fall of 2021, the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) under the direction of Lt. Gov. Crouch, launched the Indiana Connectivity Program. The goal was to expand broadband service to thousands of underserved and unserved residents and businesses that lack connection to internet services. This broadband program is the first of its kind. Lt. Gov. Crouch began her address to the group of people gathered in the Miami-Cass REMC building by saying “What an exciting day.” She thanked Miami-Cass REMC hosting the event and to the Next Level Connections team for getting the program where it is today. She also recognized partners in the Indiana General Assembly who were present for the event thanking them for their support of the program. The first introduced was Representative Ethan Manning followed by Senator Andy Zay. Sen. Zay authored the Indiana Connectivity Program which has now become a reality. Lt. Gov. Crouch said in 2018, Purdue University did a study that found Indiana had over 400,000 Hoosiers who were in “internet darkness.” If they could be connected over the next 20 years it would result in additional $12 billion to the state's economy. That meant economic opportunity was a possibility in rural Indiana but the key to unlocking that opportunity meant Hoosiers had to be con-
Vol. 3, No. 18
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch addresses a group of people gathered at Miami-Cass REMC Thursday, April 28. She was there to make an announcenected. In 2019, the General Assembly invested $100 million to expand broadband. In 2020, COVID-19 swept across the country. That’s when the realization that internet connectivity wasn’t just an economic opportunity for Indiana, but was also about health and education. In 2021, the General Assembly introduced 18 bills expanding broadband. They also appropriated an additional $250 million to continue to expand broadband here in Indiana. During her speech, Lt. Gov. Crouch shared the
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ment about Broadway Broadband and how it will help Hoosier families and businesses. Photo by Michelle Boswell reason why the event at Miami-Cass REMC was so important. She was there to announce the results of round one of the Indiana Connectivity Program. She explained that as a result of the $650,000 in grant money provided, 253 Hoosier families and businesses who couldn’t be connected to the internet because of their location will now be connected. Lt. Gov. Crouch shared that although 253 families and businesses may not seem like much, it means everything to those people who can now use the internet and have better See Broadband, Page 2