NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Mary Littleton, R-Dickson, announced $2.2 million in grant funding has been awarded to expand broadband access and digital program opportunities in Cheatham and Dickson Counties.
The counties will receive five separate grants as part of $162.7 million in overall funding administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD). The investments will provide broadband access and digital opportunity programs to more than 236,000 Tennesseans across 92 counties.
“These grants will provide more Tennesseans in our rural areas the access to high-speed internet they have needed for years,” Littleton said. “I’m excited to see how the new programs and opportunities have an impact our communities.”
Local grant recipients include:
- Dickson Electric Department: $1.4 million to expand broadband access in parts of Dickson, Cheatham and three other counties through the Middle Mile program
- Dickson County: $100,000 to expand digital skills training and broadband infrastructure through the Broadband Ready Communities (BRC) program.
- Greater Nashville Regional Council: $404,893 to advance digital skills and workforce development by serving parts of Cheatham, Dickson and 11 other counties through the Digital Skills, Education and Workforce (DSEW) program
- Mid Cumberland Human Resource Agency: $66,361 to advance digital skills and workforce development by serving parts of Dickson County through the DSEW program.
- The Village at Glencliff: $272,897 to advance digital skills and workforce development by serving parts of Cheatham, Dickson and 12 other counties through the DSEW program.
Grantees across all programs are investing approximately $48 million in matching funds and will complete their projects by Dec. 31, 2026, according to TNECD.
The Middle Mile grant program assists with capital expenses related to broadband deployment in unserved or underserved areas of Tennessee. It is part of a broader strategy to ensure that all Tennesseans have access to high-speed internet by 2028, and have opportunities to develop digital skills, access to high-quality tech jobs, connect to broadband enabled devices and access online learning and telehealth resources.
The Broadband Ready Communities (BRC) grant program is one of four that TNECD launched to promote broadband opportunity and high-paying digital jobs. The funds will support community-based digital skills training, public Wi-Fi projects, distribution of free or low-cost devices and marketing for low-cost internet plans.
The Digital Skills, Employment and Workforce Development (DSEW) is another one of four grant programs created by TNECD. The organizations receiving these funds will offer a variety of training and education programs to advance digital skills and workforce development, creating a pipeline for well-paying jobs.
In total, TNECD has invested more than $715 million to expand the state’s broadband infrastructure, connecting more than 689,000 Tennesseans across 275,000 residential and business locations.
Additional information on TNECD’s broadband initiatives can be found here.
State Rep. Mary Littleton represents District 78 which includes Cheatham and part of Dickson Counties.
