Historic federal broadband investment brings fiber-to-the-home service to rural Hoosiers, continuing electric cooperatives’ century-long commitment to rural Indiana.
Decatur County REMC, NineStar Connect, and Paulding Putnam are three of the first organizations in Indiana to receive federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program contracts, marking a landmark moment in the effort to close the rural digital divide across the state.
Decatur County REMC will receive $7,133,202 in BEAD funding, matched by $6,534,465 in cooperative investment, to deploy fiber-to-the-home broadband service to unserved communities and businesses in Decatur, Jennings, Ripley, Franklin, Rush, and Bartholomew Counties.
NineStar Connect will receive $16,743,798, matched with $5,580,932 in cooperative investment for infrastructure in Hancock, Madison, Shelby, Henry, Rush, Decatur, and Fayette counties.
Paulding Putnam will receive $13,174,476 in BEAD funding, matched by $10,350,060 in cooperative investment, to deploy fiber-to-the-home broadband service to unserved communities and businesses in Allen, Adams, DeKalb, and Noble counties.
The BEAD Program, administered through the Indiana Broadband Office, is a federal initiative designed to close the rural digital divide by expanding access to high-speed internet for unserved and underserved communities across Indiana.
“When rural Indiana needed broadband and no one else was stepping up, Indiana’s electric cooperatives did,” said John Cassady, CEO of Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “Indiana cooperatives have independently invested to bring high-speed internet to families, farmers, and businesses that have gone without access for far too long. BEAD builds on that investment. We appreciate the hard work and dedication from the Indiana Broadband Office in making this investment possible.”
“This is an important first step in Indiana’s BEAD rollout,” said Megan Minor, chief broadband officer for the Indiana Broadband Office. “Decatur County REMC and NineStar Connect have demonstrated the kind of readiness and community commitment this program was designed to support.”
Decatur County REMC will deploy a fiber-to-the-home network delivering internet speeds of up to 2 Gbps symmetrical to member-consumers. Construction is expected to begin in August, with the entire project scheduled for completion by August 2027. Decatur County REMC will begin offering service as construction progresses, and consumers will be able to subscribe as soon as fiber construction is completed in an area. All locations included in the project are expected to have service available by August 2027.
“This funding is transformational for our members,” said Brett Abplanalp, CEO of Decatur County REMC. “Access to quality broadband is essential to how people live, work, learn, and do business. For too long, our members have been left on the wrong side of the digital divide. With the assistance of BEAD funding, we can finally change that — and as a cooperative, we’re committed to doing it right, with fiber infrastructure that will serve our members and our communities for decades to come.”
NineStar Connect will deploy fiber-to-the-home infrastructure capable of delivering speeds of up to 10 Gbps to member-consumers in Hancock, Madison, Shelby, Henry, Rush, Decatur, and Fayette counties. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with service available to all consumers by 2030.
“Reliable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity for families, businesses, schools, and healthcare,” said Michael Burrow, CEO of NineStar Connect. “This investment gives us the opportunity to bring world-class fiber broadband to new areas of rural Indiana. With BEAD funding, we can accelerate that work and ensure our communities have the infrastructure they need to thrive now and well into the future.”
Paulding Putnam has already begun deploying a fiber-to-the-home network in rural northwest Ohio, delivering internet speeds of up to 1 gig to member-consumers. Construction in Indiana is anticipated to begin in spring 2027, with 1,464 eligible Indiana service locations. All Indiana locations included in the Paulding Putnam project are anticipated to have service available by spring 2029.
“This investment will make a lasting difference for the communities we serve,” said Randy Price, CEO of Paulding Putnam. “Reliable, high-speed internet has become a necessity for education, healthcare, agriculture, business, and everyday life. Many of our members have waited far too long for access to dependable broadband. With support from the BEAD program, we’re able to accelerate fiber deployment and deliver a long-term solution that will benefit our members and strengthen our communities well into the future.”
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About Indiana Electric Cooperatives
Indiana Electric Cooperatives, located in Carmel, represents Indiana’s electric cooperatives that serve 1.3 million Hoosiers in 89 of the state’s 92 counties. For more information about the association, visit IndianaEC.org
About Decatur County REMC
Decatur County REMC, located in Greensburg, Ind., is an electric utility cooperative serving almost 6,800 members in Decatur, Bartholomew, Franklin, Jennings, Ripley, and Rush counties and maintains over 1,070 miles of line. For more information about the cooperative, visit dcremc.com.
About NineStar Connect
NineStar Connect is a smart utility that brings advanced fiber optic and utility infrastructure solutions including to historically underserved communities. Our reliable and innovative infrastructure solutions make the communities we serve among the most wired and desirable places for economic development. For more information about the cooperative, visit ninestarconnect.com.
About Paulding Putnam
Paulding Putnam is a local, not-for-profit electric and internet cooperative serving nearly 14,000 members across seven counties in northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana (Paulding, Putnam, Defiance, Van Wert, and Allen counties in Ohio, and Adams and Allen counties in Indiana). Founded in 1935 to bring electricity to rural communities that other providers passed over, the cooperative is now applying that same founding spirit to close the digital divide, building a fiber-to-the-home network capable of delivering speeds up to 1 gigabit to members and non-members alike. For more information, visit ppec.coop.
About the Indiana Broadband Office
The Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) is a one-stop shop for all things broadband, and the team is dedicated to securing affordable, reliable service for every Hoosier. The IBO partners with individuals, other units of government, businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations to understand the different broadband needs across the state. These partnerships lead to lasting connections that help identify when and where aid is needed. For more information, visit in.gov/indianabroadband
