Uneven access to broadband infrastructure in the US disproportionately impacts rural, Indigenous and Black and Brown communities. Loveland, Colo.-based Amperage Infrastructure Corp. launched in 2022 to provide financing and infrastructure services to internet service providers in rural areas to expand their network in underserved communities.
“The broadband industry in these areas remains largely untapped, which we believe preserves significant opportunities for growth,” said Amperage’s Jack Lawrence.
Amperage leverages funding from federal and state government programs, including the Federal Communications Commission’s $20 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund; and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, Fund. The latter has roughly $42 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law to expand high-speed internet across the US.
Broadband portfolio
Lawrence says the undisclosed investment from S2G Ventures, a Chicago-based venture firm that invests in food and agriculture, oceans and energy solutions, will help Amperage “enhance connectivity where it is needed most.”
Amperage’s portfolio of internet service providers include Aristotle Unified Communications, which has a network of 30,000 homes in rural Arkansas. A recent investment from Amperage will enable Aristotle to expand its network to underserved communities in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Illinois.
Earlier this month, Amperage acquired Ascension Infrastructure Group, a broadband infrastructure developer and program manager in Seattle and Denver.
Green infrastructure
A lack of broadband infrastructure can hamper access to education, employment and health opportunities. “Reliable, affordable high-speed internet access is not only crucial for economic growth but also a key driver in advancing energy and agricultural transitions,” said S2G’s Sanjeev Krishnan.
“Broadband networks play a pivotal role in enabling energy-efficient technologies, deploying smart-grid solutions, and providing access to advanced agricultural tools like GPS and IoT sensors—each of which helps reduce carbon emissions, lower energy costs, and enhance productivity.”
