Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $700 Million to Connect People in Rural Areas to High-Speed Internet

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $714 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers, and business owners in 19 states to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. The announcement includes $714 million in USDA investments in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. Some examples include:

• The Home Telephone Company is receiving a ReConnect Program grant to connect nearly 4,000 people, 49 businesses, 46 farms, and two educational facilities to high-speed internet in Berkeley County, South Carolina;
• The Decatur Telephone Company will connect 5,400 people, 257 farms, 74 businesses, and four educational facilities to high-speed internet in Benton County, Arkansas;
• The North-State Telephone Co. will deploy a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network connecting 1,490 people, 64 businesses, and 43 farms in Wasco County, Oregon, to high-speed internet;
• The Cal-Ore Telephone Company will connect 757 people, 45 businesses, 14 farms, and four educational facilities to high-speed internet in Modoc and Siskiyou counties in California;
• Both companies will make monthly internet service affordable by participating in the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program;
• Missouri’s Goodman Telephone Company Inc. will connect nearly 7,000 people, 206 farms, 140 businesses, and two educational facilities to high-speed internet in McDonald and Newton counties.;
• The Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative Inc. in Kansas will connect 4,189 people, 821 farms, 149 businesses, and three educational facilities to high-speed internet in Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, and Neosho counties.