The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering $714 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural Americans to affordable, high-speed internet. The funds will benefit projects that connect residents, farmers, and business owners in 19 states to reliable broadband. Mitch Landrieu, White House infrastructure coordinator, said broadband in rural America is a key part of the national infrastructure.
?Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re making unprecedented investments in our roads and our bridges, our airports, our ports, and perhaps most notably, in one of the most important investments is when making a $65 billion investment in America’s high-speed internet infrastructure,? Landrieu said. ?Access to the internet is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity to fully-participate in today’s society. You see, access to knowledge is the great equalizer, and the President wants to make sure that everyone has access to opportunity. And of course, with these investments, you want to level the playing field.?
Better broadband across rural America means more opportunities that would otherwise not be available.
?For all Americans, the internet is an essential tool to access education, health care, and jobs,? Landrieu said. ?Too many are left without high-speed internet because of access, cost, or lack of skills. In rural America, high-speed internet can connect people to opportunities that are miles or even states away. High-speed Internet makes rural communities healthier, more vibrant places to live, learn, and work. Rural Americans live further from health care facilities, making access to tele-health even more important.?
Farmers will also benefit directly from better broadband access.
?In agricultural communities, high-speed internet can transform farming practices, enabling farmers to use more-sustainable, data-driven approaches to precision agriculture,? Landrieu said. ?Farmers need fast, reliable service that allows them to send data up as fast as they receive it. And those are the kinds of networks we’re rebuilding through the ReConnect program.?
The USDA has invested in 142 ReConnect projects that improved high-speed internet access for 314,000 rural Americans. For more information on investment resources for rural areas, visit rd.usda.gov.
