Biden-Harris Administration Provides $759 Million to Bring High-Speed Internet Access to Communities Across Rural America

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $759 million to bring high-speed internet access to people living and working across 24 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and Palau. The investments include funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides a historic $65 billion to expand reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the US. The $759 million in loans and grants comes from the third funding round of the ReConnect Program, including:

• North Carolina’s AccessOn Networks Inc. is receiving a $17.5 million grant to connect thousands of people, 100 businesses, 76 farms and 22 educational facilities to high-speed internet in Halifax and Warren counties in North Carolina. The company will make high-speed internet service affordable by participating in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Programs. This project will serve socially vulnerable communities in Halifax and Warren counties and people in the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal Statistical Area.
• Tekstar Communications is receiving a $12.6 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect thousands of people, 171 farms, 103 businesses and an educational facility to high-speed internet in Douglas, Otter Tail, St. Louis, Stearns and Todd counties in Minnesota. Tekstar will make high-speed internet affordable by providing its “Gig for Life” service, where households that sign up for internet will not have their internet prices raised as long as they stay at the same address and continue service. Tekstar also will participate in the FCC’s Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Programs.
• In Colorado, the Eastern Slope Rural Telephone Association is receiving an $18.7 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network connecting thousands of people, 898 farms, 110 businesses and 17 educational facilities to high-speed internet in Adams, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Crowley, Elbert, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln and Washington counties. The company will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program.
• The Shelby Electric Cooperative will use a $23,690,245 grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 4,057 people, 511 farms, 61 businesses and two educational facilities to highspeed internet in Christian, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery, Moultrie, and Shelby counties in Illinois. Shelby Electric Cooperative will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program.
• The Hamilton County Telephone Co-Op will use a $12,413,362 loan and $12,413,362 grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 3,202 people, 248 farms and 52 business to high-speed internet in Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Saline, Wayne and White counties in Illinois. Hamilton County Telephone Co-Op will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC's Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs.