Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock Announces Broadband Development Office $29 Million Grant to Lower Colorado River Authority

January 20, 2026

(AUSTIN) - Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock today announced the Broadband Development Office (BDO) has awarded a $29 million grant to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities and strengthen flood-monitoring systems across Central Texas.

The investment will help internet providers reach rural Texans more affordably, expand and harden flood-monitoring infrastructure, and extend fiber deeper into underserved areas, boosting local economies while improving access to education, health care and emergency services.

"This is exactly what smart infrastructure investment looks like," Hancock said. "The July 4, 2025, floods were a sobering reminder that real-time data and reliable communications save lives. This project will both strengthen those capabilities and deliver daily broadband access to communities along the Lower Colorado."

The project builds on authority granted by the Texas Legislature in 2021 through Senate Bill 632, which authorized LCRA to develop and operate middle-mile broadband infrastructure to help close the digital divide in rural Texas. Under this model, LCRA builds and operates the core fiber network, while private internet service providers (ISPs) connect to it and deliver service directly to homes, businesses and institutions.

"This grant helps us do two important things at once," said Phil Wilson, LCRA's general manager. "We can make LCRA's fiber network accessible to internet providers who want to serve rural customers, and we can expand connectivity for flood monitoring systems across the region. We already have the infrastructure in place that can be expanded to meet the growing demand. Now we're putting it to work for both broadband access and public safety."

The $29 million BDO grant will support three interconnected components of the project:

• Improving network access points so ISPs can more easily and affordably connect to LCRA's fiber backbone and pass savings on to customers.
• Upgrading and expanding tower sites and connectivity for flood-monitoring stations.
• Extending fiber capacity into rural areas where coverage gaps remain, boosting local economies and improving access to essential services.

For more information about the BDO, visit the Comptroller's website.