Total Highspeed gets nod for $40M in government funding

Nixa-based Total Highspeed LLC stands to benefit from a Trump administration priority to expand rural broadband service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this morning announced Total Highspeed was selected for $40.2 million in funding, half of which is a loan and half is a grant. The funds are earmarked for Total Highspeed to build a fiber-to-the-premises network in rural Greene County, according to a news release. It’s part of a USDA pilot program called ReConnect, for which $60.9 million is being made available in Missouri.

Total Highspeed in 2018 announced plans to invest $30 million on wired rural broadband in its 16-county footprint, starting with Greene County residents, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. At the time, the Nixa company was awarded $640,560 from the Federal Communications Commission.

It’s unclear if the funding announced this morning serves to reimburse Total Highspeed’s investment in rural broadband. Officials with the company and the USDA could not be reached for comment by deadline.

The loan and grant funding announced this morning is expected to allow Total Highspeed to reach more than 8,600 households, 20 presubscribed farms, 15 presubscribed businesses, eight community facilities, 12 educational properties and a health care center in Greene County, according to the release.

“High-speed broadband internet connectivity … is essential today to run a successful business or agricultural operation, access specialized health care or education, and connect with loved ones living far away,” said Donald “DJ” LaVoy, the USDA’s deputy under secretary for rural development, in the release.