Public-Private Partnerships: Vanderburgh County, Indiana, and AT&T

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been a key contributor to broadband accessibility across the nation. Particularly in Indiana, the PPP established between the community of Vanderburgh County and AT&T stands to be an example of how broadband accessibility opens the doors to economic development and technological innovation. Since the completion of the PPP in November 2023, fiber service has expanded in Vanderburgh County to 20,000 previously underserved households.

AT&T is a major telecommunications company in the United States. The company’s rich history stems from Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, and his founding of the Bell Telephone Company in 1877. The company’s name of “AT&T” began to appear in the market in 1885 and since then, has been a trailblazing force in industry including setting up the first private phone line in 1877 and developing the first transcontinental phone line in 1914. Despite a series of acquisitions, divestures, and name changes, AT&T has continued to transform connectivity nationwide in more ways than one through mobile phone services, high-speed internet, and being a leader in 5G technology.

Its “AT&T Fiber” offering provides customers with Wi-Fi speeds up to 5 gigsand has become the largest fiber provider in the nation with nearly 29 million fiber locations in 100+ metro areas as of December 31, 2024 and more than 27.8 million total consumer and business locations.

Vanderburgh County of Indiana is a largely agricultural area where about one-third of homes, farms, and businesses do not have access to broadband connectivity. To address this digital divide and promote both digital literacy and economic opportunity, Vanderburgh County received federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2020 to expand broadband coverage in the area. AT&T formed a PPP with Vanderburgh County to expand its network to underserved households. Vanderburgh County contributed $9.9 million in public funds to the project and AT&T contributed an additional $29.7 million.

The project concluded in November 2023 with a resulting expansion of fFiber to 20,000 previously underserved households, including crucial coverage for farms and agribusinesses in the area. AT&T also provided an additional $50,000 to the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Foundation in support of closing the gap in digital literacy training and distributed 400 refurbished laptops for families and students. The following statement from Randy Kron, Indiana Farm Bureau President, Randy Kron, highlights the importance of the project in the community: “Broadband is needed for every facet of modern life. Farm families and agricultural businesses are no exception. Now that our unincorporated areas have access to fiber connectivity, farmers will be able to implement precision technology and advanced analytics that can make our farmers more productive, efficient and sustainable. Children will have the ability to join virtual classrooms. Our neighbors will be able to access telemedicine. This is truly a game-changing advancement.”

Overall, this crucial project highlights the impact broadband accessibility can have in predominately rural areas in the nation. Nearly 25 percent of farmers in the U.S. do not have access to internet, and this PPP has been a significant contributor towards bridging the gap and bringing reliable broadband connection that is crucial in providing better crop yields and profitability for farmers. There is much to learn from this PPP in Indiana.

Nimra Tariq is a 3L at New York Law School.