Cameron County is working with a Raymondville-based internet service to bring broadband access to smaller towns.

On Friday, Cameron County officials broke ground on the first of five internet accessibility projects that bring high speed internet to smaller towns.  

The first phase of the project covers internet for the communities of Santa Maria and Bluetown.

Once that’s completed, the company VTX1 will bring service to other Cameron County areas, including Arroyo City, San Pedro Lozano and South Padre Island.

“The key is to get as much as the county covered with these five projects,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said. “Obviously it's only a part of it, but we still have a lot more to do."

The entire project cost $200 million dollars. VTX1 is paying the first $10 million. 

 “We felt like to get these projects up and running, we needed to take the first step to put up some of our own money to show the county and other officials that we're serious about this,” VTX1 CEO Patrick McDonnell said.

The company plans to help Cameron County apply for state and federal grants to pay for the rest of the project.