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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 million in grants, $200 million for loan and grant combinations, and $200 million for low-interest loans—over three application periods.

So what does this program do?

According to USDA, The ReConnect Program is an innovative new pilot program that offers unique federal financing and funding options in the form of loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that don’t currently have sufficient access to broadband.

This pilot program will generate private sector investment to deploy broadband infrastructure to provide high-speed internet e-Connectivity to as many rural premises as possible, including homes, community facilities for healthcare and public safety, schools, libraries, farms, ranches, factories, and other production sites.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue stated “Reliable, high-speed broadband internet e-Connectivity is critical for economic prosperity and quality of life in the 21st century, from education to health care to agriculture to manufacturing and beyond. We at USDA are very excited to begin accepting applications for funds from this new and innovative program, which will bring critical infrastructure investments to homes, farms, ranches, schools and health care sites in rural America."

Here at Connected Nation we believe in improving lives by providing innovative solutions that expand the access, adoption, and use of high-speed internet and its related technologies to all people. Programs like the ReConnect Program will help continue to make our mission into a reality.

Learn more about the ReConnect Program in 90 seconds by watching the video below:

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