Brownsville’s $22M Grant Extends Broadband Strategy Beyond City Limits

Brownsville’s Information Technology Department has received nearly $22 million from the Texas Middle Mile Program to expand the city’s broadband fiber project, adding another layer to a technology strategy built around municipal fiber, private 5G, smart city systems and regional connectivity.

The city announced the award last week, saying the funding will support an estimated 138-mile expansion of its existing broadband fiber network, improving broadband access, reliability and capacity throughout the region. The grant requires a 20 percent local match, which the city said will be incorporated into financial planning.

The communities expected to benefit include Starbase, San Pedro, Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz, La Paloma, Palmer Colonia, Carricitos, Los Indios, Rangerville, San Benito, Russell Town, Green Valley Farms, Villa Del Sol, Lozano, Rio Hondo, Arroyo Gardens, La Tina Ranch, Laureles, Bayview, Laguna Vista, Laguna Heights and Port Isabel. The city estimates the project will affect about 50,000 residents.

“With this investment, Brownsville is continuing to build the foundation for a more connected and competitive future,” Mayor John Cowen Jr., said in the city’s announcement. “Expanding our broadband infrastructure means more opportunity for our residents, stronger support for education and health care, and better tools to help our region grow together.”

The Texas Broadband Development Office has allocated up to $200 million from the state’s Broadband Infrastructure Fund for Texas Middle Mile Program grants. The program is designed to fund construction and improvement of middle-mile infrastructure, strengthen network resiliency, support open-access networks and reduce the cost of connecting unserved or underserved areas to the Internet backbone.

For Brownsville, the grant follows several years of city investment in broadband infrastructure. In 2021, the Brownsville City Commission approved $19.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for broadband development, including a 95-mile underground middle-mile broadband network. The city has described that earlier investment as part of its effort to eliminate the digital divide within Brownsville.

The fiber network has since become the foundation for other city technology work. Brownsville’s private 5G network supports municipal operations and smart city infrastructure, including cameras, sensors, public Wi-Fi, traffic systems and public safety applications.

The new grant also extends the regional dimension of Brownsville’s technology plans. City CIO Jorge Cardenas previously said he hoped to make the city’s AI Factory available to nearby jurisdictions through interlocal agreements, allowing communities without similar infrastructure to use Brownsville’s compute capacity.

“My goal here in Brownsville was to build an AI Factory for us, but allow our neighbor cities to leverage that AI Factory so they can use our compute power to do the things that they want to do, but just cannot afford,” Cardenas said in December.

“This award reflects years of planning and investment in the city’s digital infrastructure,” Interim City Manager Alan Guard said in the city announcement. “By expanding our middle-mile network, we are not only increasing capacity and reliability but also creating the framework for greater regional connectivity and long-term technological growth.”