Hawaiian Telcom has received a $37.4 million grant award to help improve high-speed internet infrastructure across the state, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced Friday.

The funding, part of the Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program, provides financial backing for the construction, improvement or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure to reduce the cost of connecting areas that are unserved or underserved to the internet backbone.

“This new funding will give us the resources we need to remain connected to each other and the world by expanding broadband infrastructure between islands and across the state, and help make sure more families and small businesses can get affordable, dependable high-speed internet service,” said Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The program was created and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

On Friday, the federal government announced a total of $930 million in middle mile grants for remote areas of the country.