Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area
The digital divide: Rural vs. urban
There is a persistent and well-known gap between rural and urban populations in terms of their internet usage.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/treasury%20logo_3.jpg?itok=BXqQEkpP)
Treasury Announces Three Additional Capital Projects Fund Awards, Connecting Nearly 190,000 Homes and Businesses to Affordable, High-Speed Internet
The US Department of the Treasury announced the approval of high-speed internet projects in three additional states under the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF): Arizona, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Together, these states will use their funding to connect nearly 190,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet.
Bloomfield Urges NTCA Members to “Take Back” the Rural Broadband Narrative
In a reference to all the attention and funding that is being focused on rural broadband, NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield said, “We need to be making hay while the sun is shining.” Bloomfield highlighted two new initiatives aimed at helping members make hay.
Five sources of federal funding that are fueling broadband investment.
Here is an overview of the major federal funding vehicles for broadband that are helping to fuel the broadband investment cycle and are aimed at closing the digital divide so that all Americans have access to high-speed, reliable, affordable broadband:
Delphi, Indiana, broadband project officially begins, fiber to hit county in coming weeks
Delphi's (IN) fiber internet project, Broadway Broadband, officially broke ground.
Connecting Vermont: Broadband rollout making progress
Private and public partnerships are helping 214 Vermont towns get hooked up to broadband through a communications union district (CUD). Per Vermont statute, CUDs can’t be funded by general obligation bonds. There are 10 CUDs in the state and more than $124 million has been deployed in state and federal funding.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/usda%20logo_2.png?itok=5CRQ_0Y0)
Biden-Harris Administration Invests $63 Million in High-Speed Internet in Rural Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Mississippi
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $63 million to bring high-speed internet access to people living and working in rural areas in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Mississippi. The investments include funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The $63 million in grants comes from the third funding round of the ReConnect Program, in which USDA invested a total of $1.7 billion. The four projects being funded are:
Sens. Capito, Klobuchar Reintroduce Rural Broadband Protection Act
US Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the Rural Broadband Protection Act (S.275), which would require a more thorough vetting and verification process for internet service providers seeking to participate in the Federal Communications Commission's high-cost programs. The bill would provide essential safeguards to the Universal Service Funds' (USF) high-cost programs by ensuring that funding goes to companies with both a proven track record of success and have demonstrated sound judgment in deploying in hard-to-serve areas.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/Colorado%20State%20University.png?itok=dK4yClrc)
CSU and EDA announce a planning grant for enhancing broadband in rural Colorado through CSU’s Extension offices
The US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration awarded $301,030 to the Colorado State University (CSU) System for a planning grant to promote and enhance economic development in rural Colorado.
![](https://www.benton.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/CCG%20logo_66.png?itok=zdzP_TWj)
Lets Stop Talking About Technology Neutral
I want to take on the phrase ‘technology-neutral’. This phrase is being used to justify building technologies that are clearly not as good as fiber. The phrase was used a lot to justify allowing Starlink into the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) reverse auction.