Biden administration announces more new funding for rural broadband infrastructure

The Biden administration on Monday continued its push towards internet-for-all by 2030, saying about $667 million in new grants and loans to construct extra broadband infrastructure within the rural U.S.

“With this funding, we’re getting funding to communities in each nook of the nation as a result of we imagine that no child ought to have to sit down behind a mama’s automotive in a McDonald’s parking zone with the intention to do homework,” stated Mitch Landrieu, the White Home’s infrastructure coordinator, in a name with reporters.

The 37 new recipients characterize the fourth spherical of funding underneath this system, dubbed ReConnect by the U.S. Division of Agriculture. One other 37 tasks acquired $771.4 million in grants and loans introduced in April and June.

The cash flowing by way of federal broadband packages, together with what was introduced Monday and the $42.5 billion infrastructure program detailed earlier this summer time, will result in a brand new variation on “the electrification of rural America,” Landrieu stated, repeating a typical Biden administration chorus.

The biggest award went to the Ponderosa Phone Co. in California, which acquired greater than $42 million to deploy fiber networks in Fresno County. In whole, greater than 1,200 folks, 12 farms and 26 different companies will profit from that effort alone, based on USDA.

The phone cooperatives, counties and telecommunications firms that gained the brand new awards are based mostly in 22 states and the Marshall Islands.

No less than half of the households in areas receiving the brand new funding lack entry to web speeds of 100 megabits per second obtain and 20 Mbps add — what the federal authorities considers “underserved” in broadband terminology. The recipients’ mandate is to construct networks that increase these ranges to at the least 100 Mbps add and 100 Mbps obtain speeds for each family, enterprise and farm of their service areas.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated the investments might carry new financial alternatives to farmers, permit folks with out shut entry to medical care to see specialist docs by way of telemedicine and enhance educational choices, together with Superior Placement programs in excessive faculties.

“The truth that this administration understands and appreciates the necessity for continued funding in rural America to create extra alternative is one thing that I’m actually enthusiastic about,” Vilsack stated on the media name.

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Harjai, who reported from Los Angeles, is a corps member for The Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.