Indianola Municipal Utilities has been awarded a pair of grants from the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grants Program to continue expanding fiber internet to the area, worth over $614k. IMU was chosen among 160 applicants to receive funding from the State of Iowa as part of $210 million of statewide funds. According to IMU, the grant will fund up to 60 percent of the cost of expanding fiber service to four additional census blocks – one north of the city and three to the south – totaling 98 existing residences. The remaining cost will be paid for by the utility. Expanding the utility’s fiber footprint to those areas will also create the infrastructure for potential future expansion. After approval by the IMU Board of Trustees, IMU intends to start work on the northern block as soon as this Spring, with work set to be completed by the end of 2023. Work on the southern blocks will commence later; the utility is targeting a completion date for the second phase by September 30, 2026.