Microsoft is partnering with Watch Communications, a telecommunications services provider, to bring broadband internet access to rural areas of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
The partnership aims to make high-speed internet access available to approximately 815,000 people. Extending broadband access to rural areas can help support digital initiatives such as telehealth and digital agricultural technology.
The deal is part of Microsoft's Airband Initiative, which seeks to deliver high-speed internet to underserved areas across the country. Last July, Microsoft partnered with rural technology operator RTO Wireless to bring broadband access to almost 300,000 people living in rural areas of New York and Maine.