Sec Perdue Hopes to Have “Solid Plan” by Year-End for $600M USDA Rural Broadband Pilot

Secretary Sonny Perdue didn’t have many new details to share about the upcoming $600 million US Department of Agriculture rural broadband pilot when he addressed stakeholders at a USTelecom event. But his comments suggested that could change soon. “I’ve challenged my people to have a solid plan in place by the end of the year,” said Sec Perdue. He also noted that “we are close to determining the rules but we’re not there just yet.” He noted that USDA received more than 250 comments from stakeholders in response to the agency’s request for input on the pilot program. The deadline for filing comments was September 10 and Sec Perdue said the agency is using those comments in developing rules for the program.