IdeaTek, a fiber internet provider based in Buhler, Kansas, is taking a significant step toward bridging the digital divide in Marion and Butler counties thanks to a $900,000 grant awarded by the Kansas Office of Broadband Development.
The grant will fund the construction of approximately 40 miles of new fiber network infrastructure, connecting more than 600 residents and businesses—including the previously underserved communities of Elbing, Whitewater and Burns—to reliable, high-speed fiber internet service for the first time.
IdeaTek’s grant is part of the state’s broader effort to expand broadband access to all Kansans. Gov. Laura Kelly announced that IdeaTek was one of 12 recipients in this round of funding, which provides more than $10 million in broadband investment to 14 Kansas communities.
PHOTO: Macro Shot with Augmented Reality: IT Administrator Plugs in RJ45 Internet Connector into LAN Router Switch. Cables with Virtual Graphics Showing Data Transfer. (iStock – gorodenkoff)
