Agriculture Department Pusing for More Broadband Access

Up to $759 million is being made available through the federal Department of Agriculture to fund a series of broadband infrastructure projects across the country.

In announcing the historic funding, Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Department Secretary, noted that “people living in rural towns across the nation need high-speed internet to run their businesses, go to school and connect with loved ones.”

The funding is coming out of the Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Program and is designed to work with local entities to build needed broadband infrastructure in even the most remote places.

In Colorado, by way of example, the Reconnect Program is sending an $18.7 million grant to the Eastern Slope Rural Telephone Association to connect “thousands of people, 898 farms, 110 businesses, and 17 educational facilities” in some nine Colorado counties.

Additional awards have been announced for similar efforts in some 25 states, including Arizona and New Mexico.

The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority in Arizona is receiving $7.1 million for the building of internet infrastructure in Navajo County. A second grant of just under $10 million is going to the Tohono O’odham Utility Authority for broadband infrastructure construction in three counties, as well as the Tohono O’odham National Reservation.

Funding in New Mexico is going to four separate projects: the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative is receiving $23.6 million to build high-speed internet infrastructure in Rio Arriba County; while the Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative is receiving $24.9 million for infrastructure work in Chaves and Lea counties.

Additional New Mexico projects: $34.8 million for the Western New Mexico Telephone Company to build high speed internet in Catron, Grant, and Hidalgo counties; along with $24.9 million to the WNM Communication Corporation for infrastructure work in Grant and Luna counties.

​By Garry Boulard

No Responses

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Leave a Reply

Get stories like these right to your inbox. ​Sign up for our newsletter
Archives
Construction Reporter

Show Password Forgot Password?