Surf Internet is pledging to invest $35 million in rural broadband as it seeks more state funding to extend high-speed internet to more underserved areas.
The Elkhart-based telecommunications company serving northern Indiana is a successor to Surf Air Wireless in LaPorte and continues to maintain an office in the Maple City.
The company has been lobbying for more grant dollars from Indiana’s Next Level Connections broadband grant program to help subsidize the construction of broadband lines to more sparsely populated rural areas where there isn’t the concentration of customers that would otherwise make it financially viable.
Surf Internet has extended high-speed internet across more rural areas in Northwest Indiana, including in LaPorte, Newton and Starke counties.
“Broadband is to the 21st century what rural electrification was to the 20th century,” Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Assistant Mary Perren said. “Starke County officials realized this when they sought and received a Broadband Ready designation from the state, and SCEDF is thrilled to be part of the ongoing effort to bring broadband to our residents. Having access to dependable internet allows people to work remotely, is critical for e-learning days, and an essential business tool, all of which help rural communities to grow and prosper.”
People are also reading…
Surf Internet has been lobbying for a share of funding from the Next Level Connections program, which is investing $350 million in broadband infrastructure across the state. So far the state program has awarded $251 million across 81 counties in Indiana to bring broadband access to 68,150 homes and businesses.
It’s now in its fourth round of funding. The state expects to award grants this summer and the broadband will then have to be built within the next 24 months.
Surf Internet’s campaign for more state grant funding has gotten 110 letters of support from residents and leaders in 16 Northern Indiana counties.
“Rural Hoosiers are clamoring for real solutions to their connectivity issues,” said Steve Carender, Surf’s director of special funding. “Public-private partnerships have been, and will continue to be, the key to delivering reliable high-speed access.”
Beer Geeks, one of the Region’s first, most beloved and most influential craft beer bars, closed after more than a decade and is being reimagined as a new concept.
The landmark 88-year-old castle-shaped White Castle in Whiting is coming down to be replaced with a newer, larger, more modern White Castle restaurant.
A longtime staple in downtown Crown Point poured its last drink.
The longtime Westforth Sports gun shop is closing.
The Silver Line Building Products plant at 16801 Exchange Ave. will be shuttered permanently.
Brewfest in Highland will close in what’s been called “an end of an era.”
David’s Bridal filed for bankruptcy and could close all stores if no buyer emerges to save it.
The 88-year-old Whiting White Castle will be remembered with displays at museums in two different states.
alert top story urgent topical
For years, the “millionaire’s club” met every morning in the corner booth of the historic 88-year-old White Castle at Indianapolis Boulevard and 119th Street in downtown Whiting. The landmark restaurant served its final slider Tuesday.
One of Northwest Indiana’s most popular and enduring hobby shops is looking for a buyer after the longtime owner died.
J&L This N That Consignment Shop, a popular thrift store, closed in downtown Whiting after a run of several years.
A Calumet Region institution, Calumet Fisheries on the far South Side of Chicago, is temporarily closed after failing a city health inspection.
Just days after reopening after city health inspectors shut it down, Calumet Fisheries suffered a major fire.
Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant is no mas in Valparaiso.
Beer Geeks in Highland rebranded as B-Side Bar & Lounge and then closed within a few months.
Troubled retailer Bed Bath and Beyond will permanently close its Valparaiso location as it shutters more stores nationwide as it looks to restructure and shrink its footprint to save the struggling business.
Peoples Bank has shuttered its branch in downtown Hammond.
Viking Artisan Ales will soon pour its last craft beer at its Merrillville taproom.
Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom is closing after 15 years at one of Northwest Indiana’s most prominent highway interchanges.
Walmart is closing its big-box store in Homewood.
The Chicago Auto Show, the nation’s largest auto show, returns to McCormick Place Saturday, running through Feb. 19.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
