Oct. 27 (UPI) -- The Biden administration has allocated $759 million to expand high-speed internet access to rural communities in the United States and U.S. territories.
A press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday said part of the funding will come from the $65 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the bipartisan infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021.
"People living in rural towns across the nation need high-speed internet to run their businesses, go to school, and connect with their loved ones," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday.
"The $750 million in loans and grants comes from the third funding found of the ReConnect Program" read the press release. The ReConnect Program is an initiative that provides loans and grants for infrastructure upgrades to bring broadband internet to more communities.
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ReConnect program grants include:
$17.5 million issued to North Carolina's AccessOn Networks Incorporated "to connect thousands of people, 100 businesses, 76 farms and 22 education facilities to high-speed internet in Halifax and Warren counties."
$12.6 million allocated to Tekstar Communications "to deploy a fiber-to-premises network to connect thousands of people, 171 farms, 103 businesses and an education facility to high-speed internet in Douglas, Otter Trail, St. Louis, Stearns and Todd counties in Minnesota."
$18.7 million allocated to Eastern Slope Rural Telephone Association "to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network connecting thousands of people, 898 farms, 110 businesses and 17 educational facilities to high-speed internet in Adams, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Crowley, Elbert, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln and Washington counties."
The USDA is granting awards in 24 U.S. states as well as "awards to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, and the utility authorities for the Navajo Nation and the Tohono O'odham Nation."
