May 9, 2025
Surf Internet® has been awarded $1,176,000 in funding through Round 13 of the Indiana Connectivity Program (ICP), supporting its mission to expand reliable high-speed broadband
access to rural and underserved areas. The grant, combined with $5.8 million in private investment by Surf, will enable fiber-optic expansion to 245 grant-identified addresses—and additional adjacent homes and businesses—across Indiana.
Surf received the largest award in this funding round, supporting more than 65 percent of the 371 locations identified by the state. The 245 addresses span 16 counties across Northern Indiana, reinforcing Surf’s commitment to expanding fiber-optic broadband in the region. Counties include Allen, DeKalb, Elkhart, Grant, Jackson, Knox, LaGrange, LaPorte, Lake, Madison, Marshall, Newton, Porter, St. Joseph, Starke, and Whitley.
Round 13 of the Indiana Connectivity Program, announced by the Office of Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), awarded $1.66 million in state funding to support new broadband access for 353 households and 18 businesses across 40 counties. Providers participating in this round are contributing an additional $6.1 million in private investment, bringing the total round investment to $7.8 million.
“Grants like the ICP make it possible for us to reach people who have waited far too long for fast, reliable internet,” said Gene Crusie, CEO of Surf Internet. “This is about more than infrastructure—it’s about ensuring families, farms, and small businesses can fully participate in today’s connected world.”
Surf will extend service beyond the grant-funded addresses to reach approximately 2,500 adjacent homes and businesses. This broader buildout ensures the greatest possible community impact from each mile of fiber constructed.
“Public-private partnerships like ICP are a force multiplier,” said Steve Carender, Surf’s Director of Special Funding. “By aligning state dollars with our own investment, we can scale impact quickly—bringing broadband to entire corridors of unserved areas, not just the individual homes identified in the grant.”
Surf will work closely with local residents throughout the buildout process, including public meetings, targeted mailers, and direct outreach. Residents at grant-funded addresses will receive detailed next steps, including project timelines, how to connect once service becomes available, and instructions for completing state-required consent forms. These forms must be signed before construction can proceed; without them, Surf will be unable to bring service to the address under the ICP program. Additionally, unresponsive addresses may be less likely to qualify for future public funding opportunities—such as BEAD—since those locations may no longer be considered unserved.
Find construction updates for all of Surf’s service areas at https://construction.surfinternet.com.
About Surf Internet
Surf Internet is an innovative fiber-optic internet company that serves as the essential gateway to connectivity across the Great Lakes region of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The company is building a bridge to the wide-open future by delivering high-speed, reliable internet to homes and businesses in underserved, rural communities. Surf’s 300-plus-person team is local, giving them an edge when it comes to customer care and advocacy for the region. Headquartered in Elkhart, Ind., Surf also has offices in La Porte, Ind., Byron Center and Fowlerville, Mich., and Coal City, Naperville, and Rock Falls, Ill. Learn more at https://surfinternet.com.