Ricketts Hails Broadband Expansion Plans

Sept. 7, 2022, 3 p.m. ·

Governor Pete Ricketts speaks Wednesday (Photo by Fred Knapp, Nebraska Public Media News)
Gov. Pete Ricketts speaks Wednesday (Photo by Fred Knapp, Nebraska Public Media News)

The state of Nebraska will deploy around $200 million from the federal government to expand high-speed broadband around the state.

Gov. Pete Ricketts highlighted the project in a news conference Tuesday, saying the money will help improve business, education and telehealth services.

About $87 million of the funding will come from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, which Ricketts has criticized as contributing to inflation. The Republican governor didn’t back away from that criticism Tuesday, even as he celebrated the improvements it will make possible.

“When you’re talking about that partisan stimulus bill, that’s exactly what I’m talking about is no regard for controlling spending, passing it along partisan lines, and you can tie inflation directly back to that," Ricketts said. "So the money’s available. We’re going to take advantage of it where the money’s available. (That) doesn’t mean that that stimulus package that was put out there was the right policy for our country."

At least another $100 million will come from the infrastructure bill passed last fall.

The state will launch a website next Monday containing a calendar of listening sessions around Nebraska that residents can attend to talk about their broadband needs. That website address will be broadband.nebraska.gov.