Recent grant funding is making broadband deployment a reality in underserved areas of Noble County, where many of you, our members, reside.

We want to congratulate our friends at LigTel Communications, who were recently awarded $11.5 million in NextLevel Broadband grants from Indiana’s Office of Rural and Community Affairs. Combine this with more than $7.7 million being invested by LigTel, and it adds up to approximately 8,000 households that have the potential to be served by its high-speed internet service.

This provides an enormous boost to LigTel’s plan to serve as many residents in Noble County and the surrounding area as possible with broadband, a necessity in this day and age.

Your input through the Indiana Farm Bureau speed test played a huge part in securing that funding by showing overwhelming evidence of the inadequate speeds or complete lack of service in our area. You went above and beyond to place Noble County as the state leader in completed speed tests. For that, we thank you for taking the time to make a difference in your community.

LigTel has already started its network expansion with construction currently taking place in the LaOtto area, which has a projected completion date for rural homes slated for October.

Then, with its NextLevel funding, it will spread its service territory to the northwest, covering 5,000 addresses and providing a much-needed service across the county.

Communities positively impacted by this grant reach nearly every corner of the county, including rural Albion, Avilla, Brimfield, Cromwell, Kendallville, Kimmell, LaOtto, Ligonier, Rome City, Wawaka and Wolcottville, plus some in neighboring counties.

LigTel will be providing internet packages that range from 100 megabits up to 2 gigabits, a sizable increase in speeds from what is currently provided to a lot of our members.

Noble REMC was proud to help promote the speed test and work alongside LigTel and Noble County Economic Development Corporation to investigate the best solutions to provide this essential resource to our community.

We’re excited to champion this new option for our members and will continue to support LigTel in its efforts to provide a better alternative for high-speed internet throughout Noble County — and beyond.