iMAN Receives Grant Pledges
Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 12:00am
Staff Reports KPC Media online
ANGOLA — Indiana Metropolitan Area Network has received a couple of grants to help with the cost of building its community-wide fiber optic network.
Northern Indiana Public Service Co. has pledged a $25,000 grant to help in the next phase of expansion of the project.
“This region of our service area has a strong economic development strategic plan and great potential for continued opportunity; it just makes sense that we support the fiber optic technology being provided by iMAN to help realize that potential,” said Don Babcock, NIPSCO’s economic development director.
Another gift will also help with the fiber deployment in the northwest area of Steuben County.
“We’re committing $5,000 toward the deployment of fiber in Orland. We look forward to this resource being available in our area,” said Galen Miller of Miller Poultry, Orland.
Both are qualifying matching gifts for the $50,000 challenge put forth by the Dekko Foundation in July.
“I’m very thankful that we have companies like NIPSCO and Miller Poultry taking such an active part in supporting our community by giving to the IMAN project,” said Sara Tubergen, chairwoman of the iMAN board. “Their gifts will be worth twice as much with Dekko’s match, and the finalization of the iMAN deployment is on the list of issues to be addressed in the Steuben County Economic Development Corp.’s strategic plan. With ongoing financial assistance such as this from business and industry that use the fiber, the project is still on target to be complete by the end of 2012.”