USDA Invests More Than $165 Million in Rural Broadband in 9 States

The US Department of Agriculture is investing over $165 million to provide broadband service in 9 states as part of the second round of the ReConnect program. 

• Emery Telecommunications & Video Inc. will use a $6.3 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,638 people, 91 farms, 52 businesses, three fire stations, and two post offices to high-speed broadband internet in Dolores, San Miguel, and Montezuma counties in Colorado.

• AP&T Wireless Inc. will use a $21.5 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 225 people, 32 businesses, an educational facility, a post office and a fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska.

• Unicom Inc. will use a $25 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 7,441 people, 310 businesses, 10 educational facilities, seven post offices, four fire stations and a city hall to high-speed broadband internet in Kodiak Island Borough, Lake and Peninsula Borough, Aleutians East Borough and Aleutians West Census Area in Alaska.

• South Slope Cooperative Telephone Company will use a $2.7 million grant and a $2.7 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,984 people, 147 farms and 26 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Iowa and Johnson counties in Iowa.

• Hamilton County Telephone Co-op will use a $20 million grant and a $20 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 19,749 people, 462 businesses, 347 farms, 16 educational facilities, three post offices and four fire stations to high-speed broadband internet in Saline, Williamson, Franklin, and White counties in Illinois.

• Flat Rock Telephone Co-op Inc. will use a $3.2 million grant and a $3.2 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,460 people, 50 farms, 13 businesses, and a fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Crawford and Lawrence counties in Illinois.

• Valley Telecommunications Cooperative Association Inc. will use a $5.5 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,561 people, 30 businesses, 185 farms, three essential community facilities, and six educational facilities to high-speed broadband internet in Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Kingsbury, and Moody counties in South Dakota.

• Midvale Telephone Company will use a $5.4 million grant and $5.4 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 236 people, 15 businesses, four farms, and one fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Washington, Custer, Blaine, Valley, and Idaho counties in Idaho.

• Direct Communications Rockland Inc. will use a $9.8 million grant and a $9.8 million ReConnect Loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 2,064 people, 118 farms, 30 businesses, a post office, and a fire station to high-speed broadband internet in Bear Lake, Power, Franklin and Oneida counties in Idaho.

• Oregon-Idaho Utilities Inc. will use a $12.8 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 612 people, 75 farms, and three businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Owyhee County, Idaho; Malheur County, Oregon; and Humboldt and Elko counties in Nevada.

• Project Telephone Company will use a $5.4 million grant and $5.4 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 2,182 people, 160 farms, and 67 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Big Horn, Stillwater, and Carbon counties in Montana.

• Alliance Communications Cooperative Inc. will use a $1.5 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,176 people, 19 businesses, and 30 farms to high-speed broadband internet in Lincoln and Turner counties in South Dakota.