(November 5, 2025)CAMDEN – Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday joined state and local leaders in Camden to celebrate Alabama’s Statewide Middle-Mile Fiber Network, a transformative infrastructure project that paves the way for access to high-speed internet service across the state. The Alabama Fiber Network (AFN), in partnership with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), is nearing completion of the 3,500-mile fiber backbone that will expand broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities. While the full project is scheduled to be complete in February 2026, by virtue of additional state grant funding, AFN provides middle-mile service in all of Alabama’s 67 counties as of October 31, 2025. Today’s event marked the fiber network’s crossing of the Alabama River at the J. Lee Long Bridge on Alabama Highway 29, one of its last major crossings statewide. The Alabama Fiber Network middle mile project represents one of the most significant telecommunications infrastructure projects in state history.

(January 22, 2025) Alabama has become a national model for state initiative and success in broadband policy and strategy, showcasing the effectiveness of early planning, substantial executive and legislative support, and strategic use of federal funds. Since 2017, Alabama leaders have consistently acted on the vision of a connected state, supporting and funding broadband initiatives designed to reach every community, from population centers to the state’s rural Black Belt. Alabama has created a lasting blueprint for digital access and economic opportunity through shared vision and effort among the legislature, Governor Kay Ivey’s office, and the agency tasked with execution of the state’s broadband plans, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

(September 23, 2024) ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell: “Our state and so many partners are making continued progress in providing high-speed internet access to those unserved areas in Alabama.” 

(June 25, 2024) On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey awarded nearly $53.5 million to expand high-speed internet across Alabama in yet another milestone of the state’s longstanding effort to bridge the digital divide for rural areas.

(May 1, 2024) I’ve worked with Governor Kay Ivey for quite a while, and when she says she wants something done, she means it. When Governor Ivey asked me to serve as director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) back in 2017, she made one thing perfectly clear – expanding access to high-speed internet to all Alabamians was a top priority of her administration.

(March 19, 2024) Alabama’s ongoing initiative to expand broadband access across the state has now seen more than $501 million in grants awarded to internet service providers, an investment that is projected to expand access to high-speed internet to almost 127,000 households and institutions.

The latest figures on Alabama’s broadband expansion project, dubbed ‘Be Linked Alabama’ by Gov. Kay Ivey during its launch last year, were shared Monday during a meeting of the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority.

“You can see that we’re making a lot of progress,” said Maureen Neighbors, division chief for the Digital Expansion Authority.

(February 27, 2024) Governor Kay Ivey has announced the awarding of nearly $150 million to continue the expansion of high-speed internet service to unserved areas across Alabama.

The 66 Capital Projects Fund grants totaling $148.3 million were awarded to 16 internet service providers that will expand high-speed internet availability to homes, businesses and public institutions in portions of 48 counties, according to a press release from the Governor Ivey’s office.

(February 5, 2024) Governor Kay Ivey announced today the awarding of more than $188 million to continue the expansion of high-speed internet access in Alabama.

The grants were awarded to 12 internet service providers to install more than 4,000 miles of “middle-mile” projects throughout Alabama. Middle-mile projects help fill the gap in broadband expansion to make it more economically feasible and less labor intensive for providers to extend services to unserved businesses and households in the state.

(February 2, 2024) Gov. Kay Ivey praised the state’s efforts to bring broadband internet service to rural areas Friday, speaking at DeKalb Regional Medical Center.

“Alabama is a national model of how to bring broadband to the people,” Ivey said. Through grants, matching funds, and good dedicated efforts, she said, state leaders are bridging the digital divide.

(January 11, 2024) Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey made a stop in Troy on Thursday as a part of her statewide Broadband Tour to discuss upcoming broadband projects in the Wiregrass.

Ivey has been touring various parts of the state over the past year to discuss projects that have been utilized as a part of the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund, which was designed to target projects in communities in need of high-speed Internet, especially rural areas.