USDA's Rural Broadband Boost—With More to Come

Rural broadband got an upgrade this week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $91 million in broadband infrastructure. As Benton readers know, broadband access in rural areas is a huge challenge: according to the Federal Communications Commission, 80 percent of the 24 million American households who lack reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access are in rural areas. The USDA has been investing in rural telecommunications infrastructure for decades. Current telecommunication programs offer more than $700 million per year for modern broadband e-Connectivity (or electronic connectivity) in rural communities. This week, USDA Assistant Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett identified how some of that money will be used: 19 projects in 12 states will receive $91 million in total to bring broadband to 27,000 rural businesses and households. [Yes, that's over $3,300 per potential connection, if you're scoring at home.] Over $58 million of the funding will come as loans while $33 million will be grants.