AUSTIN, Texas (KETK) - Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has awarded $18.5 million to 17 counties across the state as a part of the Texas Broadband Pole Replacement Program. Texas Radio Hall of Fame in Kilgore inducts 20 broadcasters, including 2 East Texans The following counties, including the East Texas counties in bold, are each receiving part of the $18.5 million to deploy broadband poles to rural and underserved areas of the state: Anderson Bell Bowie Delta Erath Franklin Grimes Henderson Hopkins Hunt Kaufman Madison Milam Sabine San Augustine Van Zandt Walker “Our agency is awarding this critical funding under our legislative directive to connect every Texan to broadband service,” said Hegar. “Ensuring all Texans have access to reliable, high-speed internet is important for Texas' continued economic growth and prosperity.” The Broadband Development Office, which Hegar's office runs, awarded the money to Bartlett Electric Cooperative, Charter Communications, United Electric Cooperative Services Inc. and MidSouth Electric Cooperative who will be installing the poles throughout those 17 counties. Spectrum is expanding rural broadband in East Texas The companies had to prove they were able to set up poles that could support broadband speeds of at least 25 megabits per second for downloads and three megabits per second on uploads. According to Hegar's office, the average new pole funded by this award will provide speeds of 1 gigabit per second or greater. Funding for these new poles comes from Proposition 8 which was passed by Texas voters in November of 2023. The proposition dedicated $75 million to the Pole Replacement Fund. Hegar's office said that this initial round of polls was the first round of money awarded from the Pole Replacement Fund. Additionally, Hegar's office said that another $729 million from the federal Capital Projects Fund and the state Broadband Infrastructure Fund could bring online 20 percent of all Texans without broadband access. To learn more about efforts to broaden broadband access, visit the Texas Broadband Office online.