Broadband expansion begins for rural Reno, Sedgwick counties

Officials at Buhler-based IdeaTek Telcom say by leveraging federal dollars awarded last year it will try to connect to nearly double the number of rural internet customers it is obligated to reach. And, while doing so, potentially more than double its customer base. The $6.2 million award from the Federal Communication Commission through its Connect America Fund Phase II “reverse auction” requires IdeaTek to provide access to 2,490 customers overall.