Bartholomew County has just $4 million in federal funds left from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which will go towards the ongoing project to install fiber optic internet across the county as long as the endeavor is finished by the end of this year.

Bartholomew County Auditor Pia O’Connor gave her regular ARP funding update to county council members on Monday. O’Connor is required to submit quarterly updates to the U.S. Department of the Treasury to document how the money is being spent, even though it’s been quite awhile since the county has dipped into ARP funding.

The $1.9 trillion federal economic relief package passed in 2021 to address COVID’s health and economic events provided Bartholomew County with $16.4 million.

Of that $16.4 million, $10 million went to revenue replacement and the remaining dollars went to two designated projects in the now-finished renovations at Bartholomew County Courthouse and fiber optic internet installation.

County council members said they are receiving inquiries from some constituents who still don’t have fiber optic internet installed about the status of the project, which was paused for a couple months after a previously enlisted contractor went bankrupt.

mStreet Fiber, the network utility provider, had originally hired Trueline Infrastructure to do the actual installation work, but the contractor went bankrupt in March 2025, necessitating the search for a replacement.

Congruex — the new contractor — resumed work in November. Congruex has also done installation work for mStreet Fiber in the Shelbyville area.

mStreet Fiber is providing the GigabitNow service for the investment firm Meridiam Infrastructure North America Corp. mStreet Fiber is investing about $33 million into the necessary infrastructure for local countywide high-speed internet. Meridiam is the company’s equity investor.

When work hit the brakes in the spring, 97 miles of fiber had been installed, encompassing 2,800 homes. A spokesperson for mStreet Fiber previously told The Republic the number of homes ready for service eclipsed 3,000 homes by December.

Bartholomew County is investing the $4 million to make broadband available to at least 82% of all homes and businesses in the county. The 82% figure refers to the percentage of residents who have access to the service, and is the goal Congruex will need to hit for the $4 million to be paid out.

That $4 million is required to be spent before the end of 2026 or it goes back to the federal government, however. County officials said it’s still expected the vendor will be able to meet its marks and the county will pay out those remaining dollars by the end of the year.

The best way for community members to communicate an issue is to contact mStreet Fiber’s customer service line at 1-800-315-3509 or by email at support@gigabitnow.com.

Residents are able to find if the GigabitNow service is available at their address at gigabitnow.com/indiana.
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