The U.S. Department of Agriculture invested a total of more than $100 million on rural broadband in four states: Illinois, Iowa, Alaska and Colorado. The investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program.
In Alaska, the USDA awarded $46.5 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas. AP&T Wireless Inc. will use a $21.5 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 225 people, 32 businesses, an educational facility, a post office and a fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area.
Unicom Inc. will use a $25 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 7,441 people, 310 businesses, 10 educational facilities, seven post offices, four fire stations and a city hall to high-speed broadband internet in Kodiak Island Borough, Lake and Peninsula Borough, Aleutians East Borough and Aleutians West Census Area.
In Colorado, Emery Telecommunications & Video Inc. will use a $6.3 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,638 people, 91 farms, 52 businesses, three fire stations and two post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Dolores, San Miguel and Montezuma counties.
In Illinois, $46.4 million is being spent. Hamilton County Telephone Co-op will use a $20 million grant and a $20 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 19,749 people, 462 businesses, 347 farms, 16 educational facilities, three post offices and four fire stations to high-speed broadband internet in Saline, Williamson, Franklin and White counties.
Flat Rock Telephone Co-op Inc. will use a $3.2 million grant and a $3.2 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,460 people, 50 farms, 13 businesses and a fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Crawford and Lawrence counties, Illinois.
Iowa is receiving $5.4 million. South Slope Cooperative Telephone Company will use a $2.7 million grant and a $2.7 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,984 people, 147 farms and 26 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Iowa and Johnson counties.
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