Rural Broadband Act Redefines USDA Loan Recipients

RURAL BROADBAND ACT REDEFINES USDA LOAN RECIPIENTS
[SOURCE: TelecomWeb]
A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to "improve and re-focus an important broadband loan program to ensure that rural, unserved areas are properly targeted for investment in and development of this critical infrastructure." If passed, such reform could benefit incumbent telcos, competitive telephone companies and cable companies alike. Crafted by Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), and co-sponsored by Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), John Salazar (D-CO) and Adrian Smith (R-Neb), the bi-partisan "Rural Utility Service Bill" (H.R. 2035) promotes increased access to high-speed broadband Internet service in rural America. The bill would improve the Rural Utility Service Broadband Loan Program that provides federal loans to areas of rural America that don't have service; that law, however, has a loophole that allows nonrural areas and areas that already have broadband services to apply for these loans, thus depleting the cash set aside for the real rural America.
http://www.telecomweb.com/tnd/22967.html

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