Western Iowa Networks hosted Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and Federal Com­­munications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr May 26 for a tour of a fiber optics installation project in rural Carroll County, northwest of Willey.

The visit provided an opportunity to witness first-hand the progress in installing high-speed fiber internet in rural Iowa with the support of federal and state funding, specifically through the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program and similar initiatives.

“For me, it’s a great...