WASHINGTON, D.C. (NewsDakota.com/NTIA) – Today, Dakota Carrier Network, LLC was awarded $19,710,574.47 to expand middle-mile high-speed Internet infrastructure in North Dakota.
The program is run by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s
Internet for All initiative.
Middle-mile Internet infrastructure carries large amounts of data over long distances, boosts network resiliency, increases competition to drive down costs, and helps connect unserved regions to the Internet backbone.
Dakota Carrier Network is one of 35 projects receiving funding totaling $930 million as part of the Middle Mile grant program.
The project is composed of two elements, added middle mile fiber route miles, and upgrading electronics to support the increased network demand.
The first element, the incorporation of the new fiber route miles, will facilitate additional redundancy, resiliency, and survivability of the network. In addition, the added fiber routes will reduce latency for anchor institutions providing critical network services.
The new route design for eastern North Dakota will be comprised of four additional network segments. These segments will be Bismarck to Carrington, Jamestown to Carrington, Devils Lake to Carrington, and Fargo to Carrington. This will create a fully meshed topology within the state. The western portion will also benefit by adding an additional network segment between Alexander and Max.
The project will add a total of 612.99 leased fiber route miles to DCN’s middle-mile backbone infrastructure.
Subrecipient BEK will be adding a total of 28.4 new construction fiber route miles to its middle-mile backbone infrastructure. Subrecipient DCT will be adding a total of 233.2 new construction fiber route miles to their middle mile backbone infrastructure. A combined total of 874.59 fiber route miles will be added to the proposed project.
The second element, upgrading electronics to support the increased net-work demand will ensure the network has the capacity that is in demand from anchor institutions enabling them to serve critical services to the citizens of North Dakota.
Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this new grant will expand Internet infrastructure in Barnes, Benson, Billings, Burleigh, Cass, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Morton, Mountrail, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Sargent, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Ward, Wells, and Williams counties.