US Department of Agriculture

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $1.6 million in a high-speed broadband infrastructure project that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 1,492 rural households, 27 pre-subscribed businesses, six educational facilities, four pre-subscribed farms, three critical community facilities and a health care center. Wecom Inc.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $55.3 million in four, high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. USDA announced the following investments in rural Kentucky:

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $2.4 million in a high-speed broadband infrastructure project that will create or improve e-Connectivity for approximately 250 households and home-based businesses in rural Mason County (WA). Mason Public Utility District 3, based in Shelton (WA), will use a $2.4 million ReConnect Program grant to provide high-speed broadband to the unserved Grapeview community. The Three Fingers Rural Broadband Fiber Project will provide middle-mile and last-mile fiber-optic service to each premises located within the targeted area.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $60.9 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 11,000 rural households, 81 farms, 73 businesses, 16 educational facilities, 12 critical community facilities and two health care facilities in rural Missouri. The following five projects throughout the state were announced:

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $15.5 million in a high-speed broadband infrastructure project that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 2,609 rural households, 12 pre-subscribed businesses and 16 pre-subscribed farms in Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry (LA) parishes. Star Telephone Company will use a $7.7 million ReConnect Program grant and a $7.7 million ReConnect Program loan to deploy 154 miles of optical fiber and 95 miles of drop optical fiber cable to the premises. The project will cover 136 square miles in Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St.

US Sec of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the availability of a second round of $550 million in US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reconnect Pilot Program funding appropriated by Congress. The application window for this round of funding is set to open Jan 31, 2020. Sec Perdue made the announcement alongside Gov Kim Reynolds (R-IA) while congratulating the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company of Stanton (IA) for receiving $6.4 million in first-round Reconnect Pilot Program funding to connect 477 households, 35 farms and 21 businesses in Montgomery and Page counties.

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced USDA has invested $4.3 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 1,000 rural households on the Seneca Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory in western NY. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey announced USDA has invested over $4.2 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for rural households and farms in Oklahoma.

US Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced USDA has invested $23.7 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for nearly 8,750 rural households in North Carolina.

President Donald Trump appointed Chad Rupe as Administrator of the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service. Rupe has served as Acting Administrator for the Rural Utilities Service since April 30. Prior to stepping into that role, he served as USDA Rural Development State Director of Wyoming from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure there, Rupe was a leader for rural broadband, serving on the Rural Development State Directors Broadband Working Group and assisting state government with efforts to deploy broadband in rural WY. R