FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/15/2021
Contact: Lea Burns
Phone: (603) 785-6804
S&A Telephone Awarded Grant to Bring Broadband to Rural Americus
Allen, Kan., March 15, 2021 – In a press conference on Thursday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced that S&A Telephone was awarded a Broadband Acceleration Grant (BAG) from the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The Broadband Acceleration Grant program was created in 2020 to bring critically needed broadband access to Kansas communities through a competitive, matching infrastructure investment program.
S&A, with funding from the BAG Grant, will expand its fiber network in Americus, Kansas. Thanks to previous funding from the CARES Act and Connectivity Emergency Response Grant received in 2020, S&A was able to begin to build the fiber infrastructure to the Americus main street area.
With this recent award, S&A will be able to extend the initial build to reach an additional 54 households and offer services with speeds up to 1 Gig. The lack of adequate broadband service in Americus has been a significant issue and has been intensified by the COVID 19 Pandemic which highlighted the inability to work remotely, school at home and receive telehealth services.
“It was an honor to attend the Governor’s press conference and be a part of the group able to solve the rural connectivity needs in Kansas,” said Josh Reece, Operations Supervisor for S&A Telephone. “We have wanted to address the lack of broadband issue in Americus for years, but it is only with the help of these grants that it has become a reality.”
“S&A is committed to rural Kansas and is thrilled to extend its Gigabit offerings to its neighbors in Americus,” added Deb Rand, President of S&A Telephone. “Providing rural residents the ability to seek medical care, work and school from home, and access information and entertainment is key to keeping our rural areas thriving.”
S&A Telephone, a USConnect Company, is a local communications provider that has been serving rural Allen, Admire, and Scranton areas in Kansas for 85 years. S&A is committed to providing the highest quality of communication services including fiber internet, local telephone, long distance, security, and managed IT services.
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