The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Program has announced 15 more second round awards. The program is investing almost $158 million in Kentucky, Illinois, Washington, Missouri, Michigan, New Mexico and Iowa.
So far, the second round of the ReConnect Program, which is set at $550 million, has made 58 awards totaling $529,184,308 in 29 states and territories. Multiple awards made since the beginning of October – including $173 million committed during the week of October 11 – has brought the second phase almost to its announced goal.
The latest flurry of ReConnect program second round announcements will serve almost 59,000 people, more than 840 businesses and numerous other community entities such as schools, hospitals and farms. These estimates don’t include information about the award to Whidbey Telecom in Washington, for which no details beyond the investment amount was available.
All the awards were to deploy FTTP networks except the grant made to Allband Multimedia in Michigan, which is for a fixed wireless network.
In Washington, Whidbey Telecom got a $596,000 grant to link residents and businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Point Roberts.
In Missouri:
- The Stoutland Telephone Company (doing business as Missouricom) got a $4.6 million grant to network 2,390 people, 78 farms and 12 businesses in Dallas, Camden and Laclede counties.
- Marshall Municipal Utilities got a $7.5 million grant to network 3,890 people, 433 farms, 63 businesses, two public schools, a fire station and a post office in Saline County.
- Steelville Telephone Exchange, DBA STE Communications got a $14.8 million grant and a $14.8 million loan to network 4,756 people, 314 farms, 55 businesses, two fire stations and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Iron, Dent, Crawford and Washington counties.
- Total Highspeed LLC got a $24.9 million grant and a $24.9 million loan to network 26,077 people, 720 farms, 417 businesses, nine fire stations and five public schools in Christian, Greene, Lawrence, Stone and Webster counties.
In Michigan:
- Allband Multimedia LLC will use a $3.5 million grant to deploy a fixed wireless network to connect 3,678 people, 64 farms, 54 businesses, four educational facilities and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Alpena, Alcona and Iosco counties.
- Southwest Michigan Communications got a $3.3 million grant and a $3.3 million loan to network 3,203 people, 40 farms and 27 businesses in Van Buren, Kalamazoo and Allegan counties.
In New Mexico:
- SWC Telesolutions got a $6.1 million grant to network 1,630 people, 31 businesses, nine farms, five fire stations and two post offices in Sierra County, New Mexico.
- The Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative got an $4.5 million grant to network 170 people, 29 farms and five businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Eddy, Chaves and Lea counties in New Mexico.
- Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative got an $8.1 million loan to network to connect 1,173 people, seven farms, six businesses, three fire stations and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Chaves, Lincoln, Eddy and Otero counties.
- Continental Divide Electric Cooperative got a $1.1 million grant to network 85 people, four farms and a business to high-speed broadband internet in Cibola County.
In Iowa:
- Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company got a $4.9 million grant and a $4.9 million loan to network 3,085 people, 228 farms, 50 businesses and two healthcare facilities to high-speed broadband internet in Appanoose and Davis counties.
- Farmers Mutual Telephone Company got a $2.3 million grant and a $2.3 million loan to network 954 people, 115 farms and eight businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Taylor and Page counties.
- Harmony Telephone Company got a $4.8 million grant and a $4.8 million loan to deploy a FTTP to network 1,579 people, 96 farms and 31 businesses in Howard and Chickasaw counties.
One award touched on two states. West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative Corporation Inc. got an $11.7 million grant to connect 8,206 people, 204 farms, 82 businesses, four post offices, three fire stations, two health care facilities and two in Graves County, Kentucky, and Alexander, Union, Pulaski, Johnson and Massac counties in Illinois.
Between the ReConnect program’s first and second round awards, the program has committed over $1.2 billion in funding for rural broadband networks so far.
