USDA ReConnect Program Broadband Funding Awards Update – Second Round Application Window Opens January 31, 2020

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Pilot Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in areas of rural America that lack access to broadband service. To date, USDA has awarded 35 projects through the first round of the ReConnect Program. The investment represents $343,429,703 million in grant and loan funding for high-speed broadband infrastructure which will create or improve connectivity for rural Americans across 22 states. The funded service areas include a total of 79,534 households. USDA continues to review first round applications, and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

The USDA ReConnect Pilot Program’s second round application window will open on Friday January 31, 2020, and will close no later than March 16, 2020. Approximately $550 million in loan and grant funding will be available. Additional details, including program changes for the second round are available from USDA’s Funding Opportunity Announcement.

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USDA Announces Two ReConnect Program Broadband Awards In Arkansas Totaling $7.1 Million

January 21, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced ReConnect Pilot Program broadband awards have been made to Yelcot Telephone Company and Mountain View Telephone Company in Arkansas. Yelcot Telephone Company will use a $1.7 million ReConnect Program grant and a $1.7 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-home network with approximately 61 miles of fiber that is expected to connect 548 households spread over 24 square miles in Baxter and Marion counties. The Mountain View Telephone Company will use a $3.7 million ReConnect Program grant to deploy a fiber broadband network project with approximately 97 miles of fiber. The network is expected to connect 702 households, farms, and businesses in the funded service areas that are spread over 98 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband network infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review first round applications, and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces $18.7 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In West Virginia

January 20, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a ReConnect Pilot Program broadband grant award has been made to Harrison Rural Electrification Association Inc. in West Virginia. Harrison will use the $18.7 million ReConnect Program grant to construct a fiber-to-the-premises network that is expected to connect 6,320 households, five educational facilities, a critical community facility and approximately 383 farms spread across 355 square miles in rural West Virginia. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband network infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review first round applications, and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces $5.7 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Nebraska

January 17, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a ReConnect Pilot Program broadband grant award has been made to Eastern Nebraska Telephone Company. The company will use the $5.7 million ReConnect grant to construct 221 miles of fiber-to-the-premises broadband infrastructure to bring service to rural areas of Pierce County, Wayne County and Madison County in Nebraska. Eastern Nebraska Telephone Company will use matching funds of $1.9 million to complete the project, for a total project cost of $7.6 million. The network will extend broadband services to every household and business in the funded area, which includes 489 households spread over 387 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband network infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review first round applications, and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces Three ReConnect Program Broadband Awards In Iowa & Minnesota Totaling $11 Million

January 17, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced three ReConnect Pilot Program broadband awards have been made to Harmony Telephone Company, Osage Municipal Utilities, and Consolidated Telephone Company to bring broadband service to areas in Iowa and Minnesota. Harmony Telephone Company will use a $2.7 million ReConnect Program loan and a $2.7 million grant to construct a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 577 households, a health care center and a critical community facility spread over 143 square miles in several counties bordering southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. Osage Municipal Utilities in northern Iowa will use a $397,749 ReConnect Program grant to deploy fiber-to-the-premise and hybrid-fiber-coax infrastructure to serve farms, residents, and businesses located in rural areas of Mitchell County, Iowa. The funded service area includes 151 households spared over 20 square miles. Consolidated Telephone Company will use a $5.2 million ReConnect Program grant to construct a fiber-to-the-premises network to serve portions of Cherry and Great Scott townships in Minnesota. Consolidated will leverage existing middle-mile infrastructure, in partnership with Northeast Service Cooperative, and require only an additional 157.1 miles of new FTTP construction. The funded service area includes 667 households, two educational facilities and two critical community facilities. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband network infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review first round applications, and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces $48 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Loan In Virginia

January 9, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a ReConnect Pilot Program broadband loan award has been made to Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation Inc. in Virginia. Wilkes will use a $48 million ReConnect Program loan to construct a fiber-to-the-premises network encompassing 1,847 square miles. The service area is expected to reach 22,604 households, 19 educational facilities, eight critical community facilities and one health care center in Halifax, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, King and Queen, Bedford and Pittsylvania counties. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review first round applications, and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces Two ReConnect Program Broadband Award In North Dakota Totaling $23 Million

January 7, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced ReConnect Pilot Program broadband awards have been made to Polar Communications Mutual Aid Corp. and Daktel Communications, LLC. Polar Communications Mutual Aid Corp. will use $10,624,167 in grant funding and $10,624,167 in loan funding to deploy an active ethernet fiber-to-the-premise network to areas in rural North Dakota. The funded service areas include 2,237 households, six educational facilities, one health care center, and one critical community facility spread over 1,870 square miles. Daktel Communications, LLC will use $1,809,290 in ReConnect grant funding to construct fiber-to-the-premises network infrastructure north of Jamestown, North Dakota. The funded service areas include 406 households and three educational facilities spread over 354 square miles. Daktel Communications will offer broadband services at 1 gigabit per second symmetrical to locations that were previously unserved in the area. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review first round applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces $5.6 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Award In West Virginia

December 18, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 23nd and 24th ReConnect Pilot Program broadband awards have been made to the Ohio Valley Industrial and Business Development Corporation and the Tyler County Development Authority, Inc. in West Virginia. The Ohio Valley Industrial and Business Development Corporation will use $2,094,500 in grant funding to construct a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network utilizing gigabit passive optical network technologies in rural West Virginia. The Corporation will use matching funds in the same amount to complete the project, for a total project cost of $4.2 million. The service area includes 1,909 households, five educational facilities, one health care center and nine critical community facilities spread over 48 square miles in Wetzel County. The Tyler County Development Authority, Inc. will use $1.758 million in grant funding and $1.758 million in loan funding to provide broadband service to underserved households, farms and businesses in Tyler County, West Virginia. The funded service area includes 1,366 households, three educational facilities, one health care center and five critical community facilities spread over 26 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. To date, USDA has provided awards for 25 projects totaling $229,630,148 in funding for high-speed broadband infrastructure in 17 U.S. states. The funded service areas include a total of 44,833 households. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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Application Window For Second Round Of USDA ReConnect Pilot Program Opens January 31, 2020

December 12, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the second round of the ReConnect Pilot Program will make available up to $200 million for grants, up to $200 million for 50/50 grant/loan combinations, and up to $200 million for low-interest loans. The second round application window will open January 31, 2020, and will close no later than March 16, 2020. The application window applies to all three categories of funding. Applications must be filed electronically through the RUS on-line application portal. Additional details, including program changes for the second round are available from USDA’s Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and solicitation of applications for second round of the ReConnect Program, which was published in the Federal Register.

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USDA Announces $9.5 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Award In South Dakota

December 12, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 22nd ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award has been provided to Valley Telecommunications Cooperative Association, Inc. in South Dakota. The $9,591,131 grant will be used to build a state of the art Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband network for currently underserved rural communities in Arlington, De Smet, Flandreau, Lake Preston, and Volga in South Dakota. The funded service areas include 1,754 households, 27 farms, 17 businesses, and one critical community facility spread over 1,003 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces $7.9 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Award In North Carolina

December 11, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 21st ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award has been provided to Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation in North Carolina. The $7,934,762 in grant funding will be used to build a fiber-optic broadband network in unserved and underserved rural areas of Columbus County, North Carolina. Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation will provide matching funds of $7,934,762 to complete the project. The service areas include 4,057 households, 15 educational facilities, three health care centers, and 10 critical community facilities spread over 155 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces $8.1 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Award In South Carolina

December 9, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 20th ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award has been provided to Home Telephone Company, Inc. in South Carolina. The $8.1 million in grant funding will be used to deploy 96 miles of fiber-optic cable in unserved areas of Charleston and Berkeley counties in South Carolina. Home Telephone Company will use matching funds of $8,184,531 to complete the project. The funded service areas include 3,780 households, 19 educational facilities, and eight critical community facilities spread out over 219 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. To date, USDA has provided 20 awards under the ReConnect Program totaling $200,074,911 for high-speed broadband infrastructure in 16 U.S. states. The funded service areas include a total of 35,270 households. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Announces Four ReConnect Program Broadband Awards In Alabama Totaling $62.3 Million

December 5, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th ReConnect Pilot Program broadband awards have been provided in Alabama. Tombigbee Electric Cooperative, Inc. will use a grant/loan combination in the amount of $29.5 million to develop an All-Dielectric Self-Supporting fiber network in unserved areas of Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Franklin, Winston and Walker counties in Alabama. This investment is expected to reach 2,152 households, 20 farms, 15 businesses, 10 critical community facilities, five educational facilities and one health care facility.

Millry Telephone Company, Inc. will use a $28.2 million grant/loan combination to develop a fiber-to-the-home network in Choctaw and Washington counties in Alabama. This investment is expected to reach 3,797 households, 20 farms, 15 businesses, 11 educational facilities, four critical community facilities and two health care centers.

Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. will use a $2 million loan to develop a FTTH network in Jackson and DeKalb counties in Alabama. This investment is expected to reach 1,676 homes and one educational facility.

National Telephone of Alabama, Inc. will use a $2.7 million grant/loan combination to develop a fiber-to-the premises network in Colbert County in Alabama. This investment is expected to reach 378 rural households, 17 farms and 14 businesses.

USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. To date, USDA has provided 19 awards under the ReConnect Program totaling $191,890,380 in 16 U.S. states. The funded service areas include a total of 31,490 households. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $12.8 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant/Loan In Illinois

December 4, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 15th ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant/loan combination in the amount of

$12,780,484 has been provided to Wabash Telephone Cooperative, Inc. in Illinois. The $6,390,242 grant and $6,390,242 loan will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network in portions Jefferson and Wayne counties located in rural southeastern Illinois. The funded service areas include 1,684 households, one health care facility, nine educational facilities, and two critical community facilities spread over 168 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $6 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Oregon

December 3, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 14th ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $6 million has been provided to Oregon Telephone Corporation to serve nearly 650 new customers in rural Wheeler and Grant counties. The grant will be used to deploy 89 miles of fiber, which will bring broadband service with speeds ranging from 30 Mbps to 1 Gbps to some of the most remote areas of the continental U.S. The network also will allow VoIP and video services to be delivered to each customers. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $18.88 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Alaska

December 3, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the 13th ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $18,888,668 has been provided to Cordova Telephone Cooperative, Inc. in Alaska. The grant will be used to fund a fiber network, dubbed NICEY (New Internet Communications for Everyone in Yakutat), which will deliver high-speed broadband service to all 662 year-round residents and businesses in the city of Yakutat in southeast Alaska. Yakutat will be connected to Cordova’s submarine fiber optics via a new microwave middle-mile network spanning 230 miles between the two communities. The grant’s funded service area includes 270 households, three critical community facilities and two educational facilities spread over 497 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $4.79 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Wyoming

November 26, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the twelfth ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $4,795,809 has been provided to All West / Wyoming, Inc. The grant will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband network capable of transmitting data at up to one Gbps in rural Wyoming. The funded service areas include 312 households, four educational facilities, and one critical community facility spread over 136 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. To date, USDA issued 12 ReConnect Pilot Program awards totaling $112,669,975 in funding for high-speed broadband infrastructure which will create or improve connectivity for rural Americans across 13 states. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $5.2 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Loan/Grant In Kansas

November 25, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the eleventh ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a 50/50 loan/grant combination in the amount of $5,271,852 has been provided to Wave Wireless, LLC in Kansas. The $2,635,926 grant and $2,635,926 loan funding will be used to build a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 Mbps or greater, in rural Labette County, Kansas. The funded service areas include 1,390 households, three educational facilities, and three critical community facilities spread over 344 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. To date, USDA issued 11 ReConnect Pilot Program awards totaling $107,874,166 in funding for high-speed broadband infrastructure which will create or improve connectivity for rural Americans across 13 states. USDA continues to review applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $5.1 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Utah

November 25, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the tenth ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $2,401,406 has been provided to Beehive Telephone Company, Inc. based in Lake Point, Utah. The grant funding will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband network capable of transmitting data at one gigabit per second in Garfield, Wayne, and Box Elder counties. This investment is anticipated to impact 141 households, eight farms and ranches, seven small businesses, and both the school and fire department in Snowville, Utah. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $2.7 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Utah & Colorado

November 25, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the ninth ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $2,735,224 has been provided to Emery Telecommunications & Video, Inc. in Utah and Colorado. The grant funding will be used to deploy broadband networks in North and South Monticello Utah, Dove Creek Colorado, and the U.S. Highway 491 Corridor. The funded service area includes 528 households, 20 farms and ranches, 15 small businesses, 8 educational facilities, and two critical community facilities spread over 7 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $4.3 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In New York

November 21, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the eighth ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $4,325,452 has been provided to Seneca Telecommunications, LLC, in New York. The grant funding will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband network throughout the Seneca Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory. The funded service areas include 1,006 households, three educational facilities, one health care center, and one critical community facility spread over 52 square miles. The Seneca project will assist the youth with completing their required daily homework, advance the health care at the local medical facilities, provide businesses and farms with technology that will allow them to operate more efficiently, and assist with future economic development on the territory. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $41.6 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Loan/Grant In Missouri & Iowa

November 15, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the seventh ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a 50% loan / 50% grant, in the amount of $41,602,014 has been provided to Grand River Mutual Telephone Corporation. The grant and loan funding will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premise broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 Mbps in rural Missouri and Iowa. The funded service areas include 2,288 households, 17 businesses, 39 farms, two educational facilities, four health care centers, and two critical community facilities spread over 518 square miles. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications for the first round of funding, requesting $1.4 billion across all three ReConnect Program funding categories: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. To date, USDA has made seven awards totaling $93,140,232 in funding throughout nine states. The funded service areas include a total of 17,738 households. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $7.2 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Iowa and South Dakota

November 15, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the sixth ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $7,210,117 has been provided to Heartland Telecommunications Company of Iowa. The grant will be used to build state-of-the-art fiber optic cable infrastructure in the funded service areas in rural Iowa and South Dakota, which include 868 households, 17 businesses, and 27 farms spread over 518 square miles. The project is expected to help facilitate new educational and economic opportunities for local residents and it will help improve the overall quality of life for people in the community. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications for the first round of funding, requesting $1.4 billion across all three ReConnect Program funding categories: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $23.7 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In North Carolina

November 6, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the fifth ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $23,726,478, has been provided to Star Telephone Membership Corporation in North Carolina. The grant will be used to build a gigabit-capable passive optical network (GPON) which will be 100% buried fiber-to-the-home network. The funded service areas include 8,749 households, 10 educational facilities, and 3 critical community facilities spread over 739 square miles. For the total project, Star Telephone Membership Corporation will build over 535 miles of buried plant to serve 3,570 locations while passing 4,462 possible service locations consisting of farms, businesses, residential, and critical community institutions. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications for the first round of funding, requesting $1.4 billion across all three ReConnect Program funding categories: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA has made five awards under the program, totaling $ 44,328,101 in grant and loan funding for broadband infrastructure in five states. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $4.2 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Oklahoma

November 5, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the fourth ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a grant in the amount of $4,202,222, has been provided to Oklahoma Western Telephone Company. The grant will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 Mbps or greater. The funded service areas include 321 households, 20 farms, and 3 critical community facilities spread over 171 square miles. The broadband network deployment will include 61 miles of aerial and buried fiber with GPON FTTP electronics. The project is expected to facilitate more access to services and information for local residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people in the community. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications for the first round of funding, requesting $1.4 billion across all three ReConnect Program funding categories: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA received 78 applications requesting grant-only funding, and 53 applications requesting loan-grant combination funding. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $3.8 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Loan In Virginia

November 4, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the third ReConnect Pilot Program broadband award, a loan in the amount of $3,793,234, has been provided to Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative in Virginia. The 100% loan will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-home broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 Mbps or greater. The 158.3 square mile funded service area includes 1,254 households, two volunteer fire departments, and four educational facilities. The project will facilitate more access to services and information for local residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people in the community. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications for the first round of funding, requesting $1.4 billion across all three ReConnect Program funding categories: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA received78 applications requesting grant-only funding, and 53 applications requesting loan-grant combination funding. USDA has made three awards under the program, totaling $16,399,401 in funding in three states. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $9.75 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In South Carolina

October 22, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the second ReConnect Pilot Program broadband grant, in the amount of $9,750,000, has been awarded to Orangeburg, County, South Carolina. The grant will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-home broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 Mbps or greater. The service areas funded by the $9.75 million grant include 3,911 households, 21 farms, 17 rural businesses, 13 educational facilities, nine critical community facilities and a health care center. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications for the first round of funding, requesting $1.4 billion across all three ReConnect Program funding categories: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA received78 applications requesting grant-only funding, and 53 applications requesting loan-grant combination funding. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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USDA Awards $2.85 Million ReConnect Program Broadband Grant In Tennessee

October 18, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the first ReConnect Pilot Program broadband grant has been awarded to Tennessee’s Forked Deer Electric Cooperative. The company will use the $2,856,167 grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-home broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 Mbps or greater. The high-speed broadband infrastructure will create or improve connectivity for 347 rural households and one critical community facility spread over approximately 435 square miles in Tennessee. USDA’s $600 million ReConnect Program provides loans and grants to construct broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications for the first round of funding, requesting $1.4 billion across all three ReConnect Program funding categories: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA received78 applications requesting grant-only funding, and 53 applications requesting loan-grant combination funding. USDA is currently reviewing applications and will announce additional awards on a rolling basis.

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