Nevada Gold Mines Drives Community Broadband Project
ELKO, Nevada – Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) is pleased to announce the commencement of the Elko Area Digital Transformation Project, bringing reliable high-speed internet services to local communities. NGM is partnering with Anthem Broadband, formerly Safelink Internet, to offer broadband internet services to all citizens of Elko, Spring Creek, and Lamoille.
To further benefit local communities, NGM will lend Anthem Broadband $10 million for the project through the company’s I-80 Fund program, a rural economic development initiative that supports small business development and stimulate economic growth in northern Nevada. Anthem Broadband will pay a low interest rate on the loan and once repaid, the I-80 Fund will utilize these funds to continue to support other small businesses. An additional $20 million will be loaned to Anthem Broadband through a community-based funding mechanism that will allow for the money and interest paid on the loan to go back to the community fund for investment growth now and to benefit local communities well into the future.
Anthem Broadband will begin laying fiber in April 2021 and is working with a construction partner which will hire local contractors to execute the construction. Community members will be able to start connecting to the broadband service this summer, with full completion of the project expected to take 24 months. The broadband service will offer speeds ranging from 250Mbps to 10Gbps.
“There is a huge need for quality internet in rural areas and this project will enable many opportunities for our communities that are a challenge with our current internet options,” said Greg Walker, NGM Executive Managing Director, “The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for reliable internet services even more so with remote learning options and telehealth accessibility. This project will also help grow our economy, attracting businesses to the area by providing the necessary infrastructure for them to succeed. We are excited to see the project begin and look forward to the benefits it brings to our local communities”.
Anthem Broadband is also committed to expanding into other nearby communities including Battle Mountain, Carlin, and Wells.
“Anthem Broadband was developed around the commitment of bringing high-speed broadband to underserved areas,” said Jacob Larsen, CEO of Anthem Broadband. “Our goal is to transform a community and provide a quality service to everyone in the area. We are only successful when we serve everyone in the area and don’t believe in cherry-picking key areas of high return while leaving others to suffer.”
The partnership between NGM and Anthem Broadband has created a unique opportunity to fund the project with no added financial commitment from customers, which means businesses and residents will not have to worry about any construction fees, activation fees, or other hidden sign-up fees.
To learn more about the project, and to sign up for project reminders and timelines, please visit www.elko.anthembroadband.com.