With five projects approved in Park and Big Horn counties, Tri-County Telephone (TCT) is a big player in a statewide effort to extend broadband services to rural areas.

The company has lead-off work underway in the Powell and Cowley areas, triggered by a federal grant program. Funding is a matching program of the federal government and the broadband providers who install, own and operate the infrastructure.

 The five projects in the two northern BHB counties are approved and funded to the tune of $17,569,026.  The federal share of that amount is $13,761,600, with a match amount by TCT of $3,807,426.

The five approved TCT projects in Park and Big Horn counties include:

• fiber to the homes and businesses east of Powell along Lane 9 and north of Powell along Road 9, including Northwest College and the University of Wyoming facilities; project total $1,933,652.

• fiber to the homes and businesses north of Cody on County Road 2AB; project total $2,367,512.

• fiber to the homes and businesses in Meeteetse and surrounding area; project total $2,329,107.

• fiber to the homes and businesses in the community of Lovell; project total $7,061,682.

• fiber to the homes and businesses in the community of Cowley; project total $3,877,073.

TCT is about 15% complete with mainline conduit construction in Powell and approximately 25% complete in Cowley. The other projects will be coming later in the year. The mainline is being built along county roads and some private roads in subdivisions, with customer drops coordinated with individual landowners. Projects within town are being completed with the support of the towns within their rights of way.

“TCT is excited to continue its expansion into the rural parts of Park and Big Horn counties,” said Richard Wardell, chief executive officer of TCT at Cody. 

“The changes in the industry have raised the bar to such a point that traditional communication facilities are not meeting the minimum requirements. This program has allowed TCT to accelerate these project areas and stretch our annual capital project budgets to serve more of our rural communities with a future proof fiber network,” he added. “This is a great opportunity that will benefit the area for generations to come by providing the latest technology and broadband capabilities.”

Broadband connectivity is getting major attention in Wyoming and across the country.

In this state, it’s known as “Connect Wyoming,” a multi-million dollar undertaking to extend broadband services and high quality internet access to rural areas to ensure Wyoming residents have the ability to telework, learn from home and have access to telemedicine.

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government in 2021 launched the $10 billion Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund under the American Rescue Plan Act.  Gov. Mark Gordon designated $75 million of Wyoming’s share of ARPA/CPF funding for broadband infrastructure improvements.

The Wyoming Business Council solicited applications from broadband providers for capital projects that would meet the goal of enabling work, education and health monitoring from home.

Thirty-two applications were awarded grant funding in the amount of $70,499,575.  Provider match contributions of another $41,015,081 will yield a total of $111,514,466 in broadband infrastructure expansion.

All projects must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026.