Projects in 12 states will receive a combined $167 million in USDA grants and loans to deploy broadband infrastructure in parts of rural America lacking sufficient access to high-speed internet service, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. The funds come from $550 million allocated by Congress for the second round of the ReConnect Program.
Some $1.5 billion has been distributed since the program was created in 2018. More awards are expected in the fall, said Vilsack during a teleconference. “Every state is important. Every rural area of the country has to be connected at the end of the day,” he said.
The awards on Wednesday, decided through a competitive process, went to projects in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.