On Monday, April 18, Wintek powered by Tipmont received more than $3.2 million in additional grant funding from the just-announced third round of the NLC program. These funds will help bring Wintek service to nearly 900 homes, businesses and anchor institutions in Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, and White counties. Wintek powered by Tipmont received grant funding in all five areas for which it applied in the third round of NLC funding.
“Our proven track record for success is worth celebrating, as is this week’s announcement of additional funding to help bring our leading-edge fiber broadband to those who need it most,” said Ron Holcomb, president and CEO of Wintek powered by Tipmont. “The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, state senators, and representatives all deserve recognition for creating a program to connect Hoosiers to the essential service of high-speed internet. As a company, we are excited for the opportunity to provide this service.”
On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Wintek powered by Tipmont celebrated the completion of a portion of its fiber internet build that was partially funded by a grant from the previous round of Indiana’s Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program. Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch delivered remarks during a gathering at Tipmont’s Battle Ground office.
In September 2020, Wintek powered by Tipmont received more than $16 million in grants from the second phase of the NLC program. The grants funded 19 projects to help build high-speed, state-of-the-art fiber internet service to over 2,200 homes, businesses, and anchor institutions in five counties within Tipmont’s electric service area: Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Clinton, and White.
Of Wintek’s 19 funded projects from the second phase, 13 are complete and actively serving customers. The remaining six projects are on track for completion by stated deadlines. No other recipient has completed more than one project in the second funding round, and Wintek is responsible for 13 of 15 total completed projects in that round.
In total, Wintek powered by Tipmont has received nearly $20 million in NLC grants — beginning with a $413,000 grant in the first round of NLC funding in August 2019. Wintek powered by Tipmont completed that project within six months of the award.
Since connecting its first customer in 2019, Wintek powered by Tipmont has built 1,797 total miles of fiber, 525 of those since the beginning of the NLC program’s second round of funding, and now serves over 4,000 customers. By the end of 2024, the entire Tipmont electric service area will have access to broadband internet. An interactive map is available here.
Next Level Connections Round 3 Funding
The following map shows the census blocks where Tipmont Wintek applied for, and received, grant funding from round three of Indiana’s Next Level Connections broadband grant program. These funds will help bring fiber-optic internet service to nearly 900 homes, businesses and anchor institutions in Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, and White counties.
More information on updated build timelines will be shared at a later date.
