Conexon To Connect Broadband to More Than 2000 Locations

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) recently announced more than $261 million in grant awards for broadband projects in unserved and underserved areas of the state, including an award of almost $7 million to Conexon Connect, LLC for broadband expansion in Wayne County. The funds are awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program.
Conexon presented its planned projects during a public meeting at Patterson Community Center in September. Conexon’s application to the state ARPA program requested funding for connecting fiber-to-the-home broadband to more than 2000 locations along the Highway 34 and Highway 67 corridors, between Piedmont and Clubb and Lodi and Greenville.
Conexon was forced to descope the areas covered by its grant application when other internet service providers filed challenges to its application during DED’s challenge window. As a result, the project covered by DED’s grant award was reduced from 2016 locations to 489. Most locations funded by the grant award are located along Highway 67 between Lodi and Greenville and along Highway 34 east of Silva. But the award also includes a cluster along and north of Highway 34, between Piedmont and Patterson.
Conexon representatives state that more specific project information, including timelines and customer service contacts, will be available in the coming months.