Rural Broadband Funding: New Deadlines, Planning for Investment

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Bowling Green, KY (April 25, 2019) - The USDA has extended the deadline for grant applications to its ReConnect Program. The program is focused on efforts that will expand broadband in rural America. The first round of applications are now due on May 31.

In this first round of funding, USDA is making available at least $600 million in rural broadband projects, through $200 million in grants, $200 million in loan and grant combinations, and $200 million in low-interest loans. The application deadlines for each of these funding packages are as follows:

• May 31, 2019, for projects seeking federal funds from the grants-only package;


• June 21, 2019, for projects seeking a combination of federal loans and grants; and


• July 12, 2019, for projects seeking low-interest federal loans.

These funds are available to state and local governments, nonprofits, for-profit corporations, and others.  There’s a lot on the line for your town, region, or state. 

To have broadband access is not just about technology. It impacts everything from healthcare to education to business and farming. This is about improving lives for ALL people.

Invest now in your local families, businesses, schools, and more by developing a Technology Action Plan to ensure your community or state is not left behind and has a clear plan for expanding access, adoption, and use.

Whether you take part in this or future funding opportunities, our Connected Community Engagement Program can help by providing:

• Geospatial analysis of community infrastructure so you know exactly where to build and how to leverage existing framework


• Customized data-collection so you know who has access, who does not, and how to fix it


• Analysis of how your community institutions are using technology to improve quality of life


• Comparison of your connectivity with other similar places so you know where you stand and the work to be done  

Contact us today at cpedersen@connectednation.org or 202-255-6098.

For more details on the ReConnect Program, click here.