USDA Announces ReConnect Broadband Program Awards – CARES Act Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced six ReConnect Pilot Program broadband grants in five states made through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Total awarded funding amounts to $74,798,791. USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. USDA expects to announce more broadband awards made through the CARES Act in the coming weeks. Below are summaries of each award made so far.
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USDA Announces ReConnect Broadband Program Awards In Oklahoma Totaling $29 Million
August 6, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced two ReConnect Pilot Program awards made through the CARES Act in Oklahoma totaling $29 million.
Pioneer Telephone Cooperative of Oklahoma received a $24.2 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will connect 4,480 people, 595 farms, 44 businesses, and two fire stations to high-speed broadband Internet in Blaine, Dewey, Ellis and Kingfisher counties. The funded service area covers 1,832 households and over 826.04 square miles.
Cimarron Telephone Company of Oklahoma will receive a $5.4 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will connect 746 people, 107 farms, and three businesses to high-speed broadband Internet in Pawnee and Osage counties. The funded service area covers 287 households and over 125.24 square miles.
USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. USDA expects to announce more broadband awards made through the CARES Act in the coming weeks.
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USDA Announces $13 Million ReConnect Broadband Program Award In Maryland
August 1, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Easton Utilities Commission in rural Maryland has received a $13.1 million ReConnect Pilot Program award made through the CARES Act. Easton received the $13.1 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will connect 8,607 people, 144 farms, 183 businesses, eight educational facilities, and one nursing home to high-speed broadband Internet in Talbot County. The funded service area includes 3,447 households and over 122.36 square miles. USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. USDA expects to announce more broadband awards made through the CARES Act in the coming weeks.
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USDA Announces $3.2 Million ReConnect Broadband Program Award In North Carolina
July 27, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a $3.2 million ReConnect Pilot Program award made through the CARES Act in North Carolina. French Broad Electric Membership Corporation received a grant of $3,231,412 to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 4,056 people, 189 farms, 64 businesses, and two fire stations to high-speed broadband Internet in southwest Madison County in western North Carolina. The funded service area includes 1,740 households and over 133.03 square miles. USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. USDA expects to announce more broadband awards made through the CARES Act in the coming weeks.
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USDA Announces $16 Million ReConnect Broadband Program Award In Mississippi
July 14, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a $16 million ReConnect Pilot Program award made through the CARES Act in Mississippi. In rural Mississippi, Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association received a $16 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 2,082 people, 331 farms, 32 businesses, a post office, and six fire stations to high-speed broadband Internet in Yalobusha, Tallahatchie, Panola, Grenada, and Quitman counties. The funded service area includes 878 households and over 474.74 square miles. USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. USDA expects to announce more broadband awards made through the CARES Act in the coming weeks.
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USDA Announces $12.5 Million ReConnect Broadband Program Award In Georgia
June 25, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a $12.5 million ReConnect Pilot Program award made through the CARES Act in Georgia. In rural Georgia, DoveTel Communications, LLC (dba SyncGlobal Telecom) received a $12.5 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 7,348 people, 121 farms, 15 businesses, four fire stations, and one elementary school to high-speed broadband Internet in Heard, Troup, and Carroll counties. The funded service area includes 2,779 households and over 125.31 square miles. USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. USDA expects to announce more broadband awards made through the CARES Act in the coming weeks.
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USDA Releases Progress Report On Broadband Accomplishments
June 25, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a Progress Report detailing broadband deployment accomplishments that have been achieved since the release of the American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report. USDA’s report shows broadband achievements made by removing regulatory barriers to broadband deployment, leveraging public resources for broadband expansion, and maximizing the impact of federal broadband funding. Of the 60 commitments included in the ABI Milestones Report, 48 have been successfully completed, and the remaining 12 commitments are in progress. USDA’s progress report includes the following highlights:
USDA, through its ReConnect program, has awarded more than $744 million in funds through March 2020 to support more than 80 broadband projects benefiting more than 430,000 rural residents in 34 states.
USDA worked with FCC to establish processes to coordinate awards for rural broadband deployment to ensure that USDA-funded grants do not overlap with the FCC’s $20 Billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) or the $9 Billion 5G Fund for Rural America.
USDA developed a public map viewer that displays basic information, such as location, site designation, and contact information for all communications sites located on National Forest System lands. Additionally, the data was provided to the Department of Interior for use in their JOEL map.
USDA partnered with GSA to finalize a revised Standard Form (SF-299), making this Common Application Form suitable for telecommunications purposes.
USDA published a final rule in April 2020 to implement the 2018 Farm Bill, which streamlined the Forest Service’s procedures for evaluating applications to locate or modify communications facilities on lands they manage.
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