- More than 21,000 Treasure Coast households do not have the Internet
- Broadband access corresponds to a higher annual household income
- The state has already awarded $473 million in broadband grants in 2023
You may be reading this article on your computer without a second thought for your high-speed Internet access.
Not all of your Treasure Coast neighbors are so lucky, but the connectivity playing field will soon become more level for select communities in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.
So far this year, the Florida Office of Broadband has awarded nearly $8.7 million to areas of the region with slow or no Internet, from Fellsmere to Fort Pierce to Indiantown.
We know there are broadband needs in Fort Pierce and we know that many people cannot afford Internet service, said Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson. Some who can afford it, lack the digital literacy skills needed to make the most of it.
Government initiatives to bring underserved areas online are a first step in closing this digital divide, Hudson said.
The broadband bureau, which launched in 2020 under the oversight of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, has distributed more than $473 million in four funding rounds since February. The money supports about 150 projects statewide, according to Governor Ron DeSantis’ office, providing high-speed Internet for about 310,000 homes, farms and businesses. Other community places, such as libraries and hospitals, are also included.
Broadband Internet infrastructure will change the landscape and quality of life for Florida households and businesses by connecting them to workforce training, employment, educational resources and telehealth services, said DEO Secretary J. Alex Kelly in a July 7 statement.
Where does the Treasure Coast need broadband?
Portions of each county in Treasure Coast received grants in both the first and fourth rounds of funding. In February, Fort Pierce, Indiantown and unincorporated Indian River County received a total of $2 million through the state’s Broadband Opportunity program, which includes federal COVID-19 relief dollars channeled through the American Rescue Plan Act.
In July, Fellsmere, Fort Pierce, Palm City, Vero Beach and Port St. Lucie received nearly $6.7 million through the state’s broadband infrastructure program, also supported by federal disaster relief funds. pandemic.
Comcast is overseeing all seven of Treasure Coast’s broadband projects, which include the installation of fiber-optic cable in nearly 3,100 residences and facilities. The fourth round of grants designated more than 188 miles of cable in the region; cable length was not listed in the first round.
The state expects additional broadband dollars to be available by the end of the year.
More than 21,000 Treasure Coast households don’t have an Internet subscription, according to an analysis by TCPalm 2021 American Community Survey data. Among the 92 percent of households that do, broadband access such as cable, DSL, or fiber correlates with higher annual household income. For example, approximately 79% of households with incomes below $20,000 have broadband, compared to 96% of households with incomes above $75,000.
Comcast did not respond to TCPalms’ request for comment on whether expanded service areas would be offered broadband subscriptions at a reduced cost.
Indian River County
In the eyes of Vero Beach Mayor John Cotugno, a better connected community is a better informed community. Recent grants awarded to the region raise awareness that Internet access is not as ubiquitous as it might seem, he said.
Who would think anyone on the Treasure Coast in Indian River County wouldn’t have access to broadband? he asked. It would seem unthinkable but it is a reality.
Unincorporated Indian River
- Grant: $532,147
- Where: 674 unserved households in a lot surrounding Fellsmere, north to 117th Street and south to 77th Street
- Cable length: unspecified
- Download/Upload Speed: Up to 1 gigabit per second (gbps)
Fellsmere and Vero Beach; Vero Beach South
- Grant: $1.9 million
- Where: 661 unserved locations in six parcels, north to the Brevard County line and south to the St. Lucie County line
- Cable length: 94.9 miles
- Download/Upload Speed: 1Gbps
St. Lucie County
St. Lucie is the only Treasure Coast county to have declined some broadband applications. State records show that AT&T submitted an unsuccessful proposal that covers several areas of Fort Pierce, further west of Interstate 95. The state also rejected a Comcast proposal that covers western St. Lucie, namely Aero Acres south of Okeechobee Road.
To be considered underserved, a parcel internet must be slower than 25/3 Mbps. Translation: Download speeds below 25 megabits per second and upload speeds below 3 Mbps. An underserved parcel has speeds below 100/ 20Mbps.
Click here to view the fastest broadband map of Florida and explore the internet speeds in your area.
Fort Pierce
- Grant: $1,429,400
- Where: 636 unserved and underserved locations in two lots, west of I-95 and north of Okeechobee Road
- Cable length: unspecified
- Download speed: 50 Mbps minimum
- Upload speed: 10 Mbps minimum
Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie
- Grant: $2,028,750
- Where: 396 unserviced locations in three lots, east of I-95 and south to Savannas Preserve State Park
- Cable Length: 41.59 miles
- Download/Upload Speed: 1Gbps
Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie; Treasure Coast Air Park
- Grant: $1,386,614.25
- Where: 183 unserviced locations in three parcels, around Glades Cut Off Road and Range Line Road
- Cable Length: 21.09 miles
- Download/Upload Speed: 1Gbps
Martin County
Martin received the least funding of any Treasure Coast county, approximately $1.4 million. However, everything will go to unserved inland locations.
County Commissioner Ed Ciampi, whose District 5 includes Palm City and part of Indiantown, did not respond to TCPalms requests for comment.
indiantown
- Grant: $56,500
- Where: 50 unserved families west of Indiantown Memorial Park
- Cable length: unspecified
- Download/Upload Speed: Up to 1Gbps
City of Palms
- Grant: $1.36 million
- Where: 484 unserviced locations in three parcels, west of Floridas Turnpike, north to Martin Highway, and south to Citrus Boulevard
- Cable Length: 30.74 miles
- Download/Upload Speed: 1Gbps
Lindsey Leake is a TCPalms project reporter. She holds a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s degree in journalism and digital storytelling from American University, and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. Follow her on Twitter @NewsyLindsey, Facebook @LindseyMLeake and Instagram @newsylindsey. Call her at 772-529-5378 or email her at [email protected].
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