The following opinion piece was written by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Access to the internet is critical for life in the 21st century, not something that is simply nice to have. To ensure our rural communities have quality health care, college-level math classes at the county high school, or precision ag technology at the local farm, high-speed broadband …
USDA Invests $9.75 Million in Rural Broadband for South Carolina Families
For Immediate Release on October 22, 2019 By USDA (Orangeburg, SC, Oct. 22, 2019) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $9,750,000 in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 3,911 rural households in South Carolina. This is one of many funding announcements in the first …
USDA Invests $2.85 Million in Rural Broadband for Tennessee Families
FOR IMMEDAITE RELEASE (Halls, TN, Oct. 18, 2019) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $2,856,167 in high-speed broadband infrastructure to create or improve e-Connectivity for 347 rural households in Tennessee. This is the first of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments. “Our …
USDA Invests $152 Million to Improve Broadband Service in 14 States
USDA Invests $152 Million to Improve Broadband Service in 14 States Projects will Provide High-Speed Communications Technology to Support Economic and Educational Opportunities WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2019 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy today announced that USDA is investing $152 million in 19 projects (PDF, 121 KB) to provide or improve …
USDA to hold rural broadband forum at FPS
Published by Farm Progress on August 26, 2019 By Holly Spangler Farmers and rural stakeholders can stop in for a one-hour session Aug. 27 to learn more about efforts to bring broadband to rural areas. USDA Rural Development will host a one-hour information session highlighting rural broadband needs on Aug. 27 during the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. “We …
ReConnect Program Receives 53 Applications Worth $635M for Rural Broadband Loan/Grant Funding
Published by Telecompetitor on June 26, 2019 By Phil Britt U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development received 53 applications requesting more than $635 million in loan-grant combination funding in the first round of the USDA ReConnect Pilot Program, the USDA announced this week. The USDA made $200 million available for loan-grant combination projects in the first round of funding. …
An Increased Federal Focus on Ubiquitous Broadband
Washington, D.C. (June 14, 2019) – This quarter has seen a flurry of broadband legislation and programs aimed at increasing high-speed internet access and adoption across the country. Our policy team tracks these developments closely as we work to get broadband deployed in even the most unserved of communities. Below are just a few of the items we are following: …
What is the USDA Reconnect Program and What Can It Do for You?
Bowling Green, KY. (May 31, 2019) – In December 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled their newest loan and grant program titled the “ReConnect Program,” which aims to provide broadband resources to rural, unserved areas across the country. The program defines broadband as 10 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload, and the funds will be divided into three pools—$200 …
USDA releases report on rural broadband
Published by Morning Ag Clips on April 30th, 2019 WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today unveiled a groundbreaking report, A Case for Rural Broadband: Insights on Rural Broadband Infrastructure and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technologies (PDF, 2.5 MB). The report finds that deployment of both broadband e-Connectivity and Next Generation Precision Agriculture Technology on farms and ranches throughout the U.S. could …
USDA opens application portal for new ReConnect Rural Broadband Infrastructure Program
Published by Dairy Business on April 26th, 2019 Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting online applications for funding through the new ReConnect Rural Broadband Pilot Program. These funds will enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with …