The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) has begun announcing grant awards for round 2 of its Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) Program, a $545 million investment in broadband infrastructure aimed at expanding high-speed internet access across the state, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This funding is part of the state’s broadband expansion efforts, with awardee notifications beginning on December 20, 2024. The funds will support the construction of new broadband networks, upgrades to existing infrastructure, and initiatives to close the digital divide.
This investment is part of the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) Program, a state-led initiative that utilizes funds from the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund, established through Proposition 8 in 2023. Additionally, Texas is leveraging federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addressing internet accessibility challenges.
BOOT Round 2 Awards Are a Dramatic Increase in Funding
The first round of BOOT awardees was announced in June 2024, with $11.5 million in grants to eight companies for wireless and fiber connectivity. The largest grants in that round went to AMA Communications for $2.9 million to deploy fiber to 310 locations, and Big Bend Telecom for $1.7 million to deploy fiber to 220 locations.
Round I of BOOT programs focused on bringing connectivity to the Texas Panhandle, South Plains, Permian Basin, West Texas, Central Texas, and the Gulf Coast, with a heavy concentration in West Texas and rural areas.
BOOT Round II grants so far total over $500 million, with the largest grants going to 4IP Technology and Media with $77.5 million for f to 2,724 locations, and ITC Broadband Operating, for $69.6 million, also for fiber deployment to 16,431 locations.
The counties covered in Round II are in Central Texas, West Texas, the Panhandle, South Texas, and East Texas, highlighting a mix of rural and underserved areas targeted for broadband expansion.
Texas BOOT Grant Awards for Round II
(as of February 4, 2025)
- ITC Broadband Operating – $138,823,636
- AMG Technology Investment Group – $124,894,7314
- IP Technology and Media – $77,562,776
- Rural Telecommunications of America. – $43,096,228
- VTX Communications – $51,073,236
- Resound Networks – $25,107,356
- Lyte Fiber – $14,456,693
- Plains Internet – $12,807,264
Differences Between Texas BOOT and BEAD Programs
The Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) Program and the $42 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program both aim to expand broadband access, but they differ in funding sources, administration, and scope.
BOOT is a Texas-specific initiative funded primarily by the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund, which was established through Proposition 8 in 2023. Administered by the Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO), BOOT focuses on closing the digital divide within Texas by funding broadband infrastructure projects, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The program offers flexible funding for last-mile infrastructure, middle-mile networks, and digital inclusion efforts, ensuring that Texans have reliable access to high-speed internet for education, healthcare, and economic development.
BEAD, on the other hand, is a federal program funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). It provides grants to all U.S. states, including Texas, to expand broadband access, with a strong focus on reaching unserved (under 25 Mbps download / 3 Mbps upload) and underserved (under 100/20 Mbps) areas. Texas receives funding from BEAD in addition to its own BOOT program, allowing for a comprehensive approach to broadband expansion.
Going Forward
It’s unclear whether the announced grants of BOOT Round II are complete. The much smaller Round I grants were announced in June 2024, followed by a call for Round II applications in July. So far, there is no official announcement about a BOOT Round III.
Texas officials emphasize that this funding will improve economic opportunities, healthcare access, and education by providing reliable, high-speed internet to communities that have long had limited connectivity. The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) will oversee the distribution of funds, prioritizing projects that serve unserved and underserved regions.
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