Sen. Marshall visits Giant Communications

The future of federal grants to help expand broadband access to rural areas was one of several topics discussed by U.S. Senator Roger Marshall during his visit to Giant Communications here last Friday morning.

Sen. Marshall met with Austin Taylor, general manager of Giant Communications and JBN Telephone Inc., at the Holton office for about 30 minutes that morning. He also talked with Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse and Lieutenant Travis DeBarge who were also present at the meeting.  

Sen. Marshall said Congress is working on a new Farm Bill, and five percent of that bill is focused on rural economic development.

“A significant amount of the rural economic development is telecommunications and high-speed internet,” Sen. Marshall said. 

Taylor said that the COVID-19 pandemic “accelerated” the need for broadband in rural America. 

He said that JBN received funding through the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service and ReConnect programs to provide additional broadband services. 

Taylor discussed some of Giant’s projects, including building new fiber-to-the-home internet service to some of the smaller communities, like Denison. 

The business has also received funds from the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to expand services, he said. 

Taylor asked about the future of the BEAD program under the new administration. 

Sen. Marshall said that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is taking a “deep dive” into many grant programs.

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