HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-29-22 Correspondence - USDA - Biden-Harris Administration Announces 8.5 Million for High-Speed Internet in Rural MontanaFrom:USDA Rural Development MontanaTo:AgendaSubject:Biden-Harris Administration Announces $8.5 Million for High-Speed Internet in Rural MontanaDate:Thursday, September 29, 2022 10:50:31 AM
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USDA Rural Development - Together, America Prospers
Press Release
Rural Development
2229 Boot Hill Court
Bozeman, MT 59715
www.rd.usda.gov/mt
Contact: jamie.welchjaro@usda.gov
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $8.5
Million for High-Speed Internet in Rural Montana
BOZEMAN, Mont., Sept. 29, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development
State Director Kathleen Williams today announced the Department is awarding $8.5
million to provide high-speed internet access for rural residents and businesses in south
central Montana.
“Our rural cities and towns are key to Montana’s character, resilience, and economic
diversity,” Williams said. “This investment in high-speed internet will build on those assets
as our rural and remote areas connect to better and broader business, educational, and
healthcare opportunities.”
Project Telephone Company, known as Nemont, is receiving an $8.5 million grant to
deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network. This network will connect hundreds of rural
families, 16 businesses, one educational facility, and 23 farms to high-speed internet in
Big Horn and Yellowstone counties in Montana. Project Telephone Company will make
high-speed internet affordable by implementing the FCC's Affordable Connectivity
Program. This project will serve portions of the Crow Reservation, Fort Smith and
Pompey’s Pillar areas.
This investment for Montana is included in a group of 32 awards announced as part of the
Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to investing in rural infrastructure and providing
reliable, affordable, high-speed internet for all. USDA is making the investments through
the third funding round of the ReConnect Program. The Department will make additional
investments for rural high-speed internet in the coming months, including funding from
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a historic $65 billion
investment to expand affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the U.S.
USDA has announced $858 million in the third round of ReConnect funding so far,
including nearly $48 million previously announced for projects in Montana. The
Department plans to make more investment announcements under this program in the
coming weeks.
On Sept. 6, USDA began accepting applications for loans, with available funds of $150
million, grants with available funds of $700 million, and combination loan/grant awards
using $300 million under the ReConnect Program. These funds were appropriated under
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act. Governmentwide, the law provides an historic $65 billion investment to expand
affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the U.S.
The application deadline is Nov. 2. For additional information, see page 47690 of the Aug.
4 Federal Register (PDF, 231 KB).
To be eligible for ReConnect Program funding, an applicant must serve an area where
high-speed internet service speeds are lower than 100 megabits per second (Mbps)
(download) and 20 Mbps (upload). The applicant must also commit to building facilities
capable of providing high-speed internet service at speeds of 100 Mbps (download and
upload) to every location in its proposed service area.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic
opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural
areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development;
housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-
speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit
www.rd.usda.gov/mt.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-
Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus
on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers,
ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new
markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and
forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy
capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing
systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more,
visit www.usda.gov.
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