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Nevada Reallocates $52 Million From Rural Broadband Project Before Deadline
State officials redirected the money to other programs after a contractor said some Pahrump-area connections could miss the federal spending deadline.
- On Thursday, Nevada pulled $52 million in pandemic relief funds from rural broadband projects as a federal December 31, 2026, deadline looms. The reallocation halts planned connections in the Pahrump area, disrupting statewide high-speed internet expansion efforts.
- Contractor Stimulus Inc. determined it could not complete Pahrump connections by the December 31, 2026, deadline due to delays securing utility poles and franchise agreements. The company had planned to use this project as a hub for broader rural expansion.
- Assm. Howard Watts criticized the Governor's Office of Science, Information and Technology at an Interim Finance Committee meeting, stating, "This has been clear as mud." Watts alleged previous leadership downplayed risks of this outcome.
- Britta Appel, director of the Governor's Office of Science, Information and Technology, called the $52 million redirection a "challenging decision" based on the "totality of the circumstances." Funds now support mental health care in jails, food insecurity programs, and multifamily housing development.
- Northern Pahrump faces significant impact, though the state has not identified all "unserved" locations. Officials cited a potential opportunity for second-round Biden-era Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding, though no guarantee exists.
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Nevada takes back $52 million for rural broadband amid fears of missed spending deadline – WTOP News
Nevada has pulled $52 million in pandemic relief funds aimed at improving broadband access in rural areas as a federal deadline looms, a blow to efforts to install high-speed internet statewide. There are about three months left until the state must spend its $2.7 billion in pandemic relief funds, and Stimulus Inc., a contractor working...
·Chevy Chase, United States
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Associated Press News+15 Reposted by 15 other sources
Nevada takes back $52 million for rural broadband amid fears of missed spending deadline
Nevada has pulled $52 million in pandemic relief funds aimed at improving broadband access in rural areas as a federal deadline looms, a blow to efforts to install high-speed internet statewide.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left7Leaning Right1Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
L 35%
C 60%
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