Rural Areas in Nevada See Broadband as Key to Progress

Pershing County, Nevada is one of many rural communities throughout the US that will receive new, fiber optic, high-speed internet connections through the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) ReConnect Program. The grant awarded to Pershing County totals up to $27 million and will connect around 5,000 people to high-speed broadband internet. Among those 5,000, there are approximately 150 members of the Lovelock Paiute Tribe in the Lovelock Indian Colony, according to Stacey Montooth, executive director of the NV Indian Commission. The $27 million grant for the county will go to Uprise Fiber, a company that has built fiber networks in cities around Washington and Oregon for years and relocated to Reno in 2019. Uprise will start work early in 2023 and eventually provide fiber connections for 4,884 people, 130 businesses, 22 farms, and seven public schools. The company will offer two plans, including a 200MB plan for $30 a month, which around two-thirds of Lovelock residents will be able to access for free through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).