Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday that $50 million will be used to improve high-speed internet across Missouri.
The money, which comes from the federal CARES Act, will be specifically allocated toward education and telehealth resources that have become critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Missouri Department of Economic Development estimates that 300,000 Missouri households, 195,000 K-12 students and 54,000 businesses and farms do not have access to high-speed internet.
“Improving Missouri’s digital infrastructure is essential to the resiliency of our economy in this pandemic and beyond,” Rob Dixon, the director of the department, said in a statement. “By providing these essential resources, we are better able to work toward economic recovery, and help Missourians prosper.”
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