Rural healthcare facilities in Iowa such as hospitals, physicians’ offices, and research labs often suffer from limited or no access to broadband services adequate to meet their specialized needs. Iowa Health System’s (IHS) Iowa Healthcare Plus Broadband Extension Project proposes to make significant upgrades to the health system’s existing 3,200-mile fiber network that serves over 200 healthcare facilities across the state and bolster their wireline capabilities with wireless technology. The open architecture of IHS’s newly upgraded network will also enable local Internet service providers to provide improved high speed Internet access to as many as 650,000 households, 134,000 businesses, and an additional 1,800 community anchor institutions. IHS’s partnership with non-profit Iowa Communications Network, another BTOP grant recipient, will allow for a comprehensive statewide fiber network that serves public sector, private sector, and nonprofit entities.