USDA Awards More than $500 Million Rural Broadband Loans and Grants

The USDA is awarding $502 million in loans and grants to provide high-speed internet access for rural residents and businesses in 20 states. The funding is part of the Administration’s commitment to investing in rural infrastructure and providing reliable, affordable, high-speed internet for all.

USDA is making the investments through the third funding round of its ReConnect Program. The Department will make additional investments for rural broadband in the coming months, including funding from the Infrastructure Law, which provides a $65 billion investment to expand affordable broadband.  

USDA has announced $858 million in the third round of ReConnect funding so far. It plans to make more investment announcements under this program in the coming weeks. To-date, it’s making 32 awards in AL, AK, CA, CO, IL, IA, KS, MI, MN, MS, MS, MT, NE, NC, ND, OK, OR, TN, TX and WY.

As part of the latest announcement:

• In Michigan, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is receiving a $25 million grant to connect 1,217 people and 26 businesses to high-speed internet in Chippewa and Mackinac counties. The Tribe will make broadband inexpensive by requiring its service provider to participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program. The program provides a discount of up to $30 per month – or $75 per month for households on Tribal lands – on household’s internet bills, as well as the FCC’s Lifeline Program. This project will serve Sault Ste. Marie Off-Reservation Trust Land, the Sault Ste. Marie Reservation as well as socially vulnerable communities in Chippewa and Mackinac counties.
• Net Vision Communications LLC is receiving a $12.4 million loan to connect 4,587 people, 300 businesses, nine farms and 15 public schools to high-speed internet in Barton County, MO. This project will serve socially vulnerable communities in the county.
• Oklahoma’s Southern Plains Cable LLC is receiving an $8.1 million loan and an $8.1 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will connect 7,093 people, 230 businesses, six farms and 29 schools to broadband in Caddo, Comanche, Cotton and Grady counties. Southern Plains will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs. This project will serve the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache-Fort Sill Apache tribal statistical area as well as socially vulnerable communities in Cotton County.