The Department of Agriculture has given a $4.6 million grant to Mississippi to expand broadband Internet in five counties. The money will be used for the Central Mississippi Rural Community Fiber ReConnect Project in Bay Springs. An additional $2.6 million will be provided by TEC for the project. The company will install 166 miles of fiber-optic lines to bring Internet to parts of Jasper, Smith, Newton, Lauderdale and Jones counties. Gigabit high-speed Internet will be made available in Stringer, Moss, Hickory, Chunky and Taylorsville. The grant money comes from the Department of Agriculture's ReConnect Loan and Grant Program.

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