“Rural communities are the backbone of our nation and have a broad impact on our economy, but for too long, rural communities have been left out or left behind and under-recognized for their contributions. We’re changing that, and it starts with making sure that rural communities are connected to affordable, reliable high-speed internet,” White House Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Coordinator Mitch Landrieu said on a call with reporters. “Thanks to the hard work of the President, (Agriculture Secretary Tom) Vilsack and the team at USDA Rural Development, our administration is providing more than $400 million in loans and grants to fund high-speed internet infrastructure for rural communities this week.”
Vilsack said that the $401 million in funding that is being announced today will support 20 projects in 11 states — Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for us over the course of the next several months to roll out over a billion dollars of investment in connecting people to a better and more modern future,” he added, highlighting how connectivity will give support farmers, expand access to telemedicine in remote areas and expand access to distance learning opportunities.
Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said on the call that a portion of the funding will go to projects in her state, including “$21.7 million that will go to improve broadband access in rural Lovelock, Nevada.”
The project, she said, will connect some 4,000 people, 130 businesses, 22 farms and seven public schools across rural Nevada to high-speed internet.
Through the program, eligible participants can receive a $30 monthly credit toward the cost of their internet service plan, or a $75 monthly credit for households living on Tribal lands. The administration estimates that a staggering 40% of American households are eligible for the credit.
Unlike the rural internet projects announced on Thursday, the Affordable Connectivity Program is funded through a provision of the massive bipartisan infrastructure bill passed last year.
It will take some time for many of the infrastructure projects funded by the bipartisan bill — new roads and bridges, for example — to come to full fruition due to planning and approval processes and getting shovels in the ground. But the Affordable Connectivity Program is a rare effort yielding nearly immediate and tangible benefits, a critical win the administration can all ahead of the midterm elections this November.
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