Alabama gets biggest piece of Internet broadband funding pie

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Alabama is getting the largest share of $255 million in federal funding to connect more homes and businesses to broadband internet service. The Federal Communications Commission says it's authorizing $27.8 million to provide access to almost 38,000 homes and businesses in rural Alabama. The money will connect more than 90,000 people who currently lack the service. The funds will be used by four carriers: AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier Communications and Windstream Corp. Alabama is receiving the largest of any state funding block announced Thursday by the FCC. Tennessee is No. 2, at $26.2 million. The money comes from an FCC program to bring broadband access to rural communities.