This week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced more than $313 million in broadband funding to providers in 18 states, financed via the fifth round of the USDA’s ReConnect Program. The newly announced funding is intended to connect rural residents, farmers, and business owners in these states to reliable high-speed internet.
The USDA ReConnect program is a central part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild the U.S. economy. Its purpose is to fund the most difficult high-speed internet projects in the nation, which are in the most rural, remote, and unserved communities.
“Keeping the people of rural America connected with good, reliable high-speed internet brings new and innovative ideas to the rest of our country and creates good-paying jobs,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the announcement. “That’s why USDA’s ReConnect Program is an important part of our partnership with rural communities.”
The latest funding will be afforded as grants and/or loans to providers in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
For example, Consolidated Telephone Company in Brainerd, Minnesota, will receive a $5,510,933 loan and a $5,510,933 grant to connect 2,831 people, 67 businesses and 78 farms in Crow Wing and Morrison counties. The funding was officially announced during a visit to Brainerd by USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke.
Other examples of how the USDA ReConnect Program funding will be used include:
- In Michigan, Waldron Communication Co. will receive a $3 million loan and a $3 million grant to provide high-speed internet reaching 599 people, 18 businesses and 32 farms in Hillsdale and Lenawee counties.
- In Arizona, CoxCom LLC will receive a $14.7 million grant to connect 6,579 people, 88 businesses, two farms and nine educational facilities in Cochise, Pima, and Pinal counties.
- In Washington, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will receive a $19.1 million grant to connect 165 people, six businesses and 20 farms across the Colville Reservation in Okanogan County to high-speed internet.
Berke also announced a Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) pilot project in Nevada. Valley Electric Association Inc. will receive a $542,281 cooperative agreement to promote the deployment of mid-mile and last-mile high-speed fiber networks to the rural areas of Clark, Esmerelda, Lyon, Mineral, and Nye counties. The project relies on partnerships with local internet service providers and energy providers.
The USDA has invested approximately $4.4 billion for 360 ReConnect awards for high-speed internet access — serving more than 680,000 people — since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration.
The funding for the fifth round of USDA ReConnect broadband funding was announced in March, with applications due in May. In October, the USDA announced $173 million in broadband funding from the ReConnect Program to providers in nine states.
