WASHINGTON, DC (WIS) – The Trump administration announced that the United States Department of Agriculture is investing $ 16 million to help provide broadband service to rural areas in South Carolina, Illinois and Oregon.
This investment is part of the US $ 550 million that Congress has allocated for the second round of the ReConnect Program.
“The need for rural broadband has never been more apparent than now – while our nation manages the national emergence of coronavirus. Access to telehealth services, remote learning for schoolchildren and remote commercial operations require access to broadband, ”said United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “I am very proud of our rural communities that have been working day after day, as they always do, producing the food and fiber on which America depends. We need them more than ever during these difficult times, and expanding access to this critical infrastructure will help ensure that rural America thrives in the years to come. “
The Lancaster Telephone Company will receive a $ 1.6 million grant to deploy a fiber optic network. This network will connect 5,574 people, 20 companies, 17 farms and three educational facilities to high-speed broadband Internet in Lancaster and Chester counties in South Carolina.
Adams TelSystems Inc. will use a $ 1.6 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber network for the facilities. This network will connect 441 people, 34 farms and four companies to high-speed broadband Internet in Adams County, Illinois.
Casco Communications will use a $ 6.6 million ReConnect grant and a $ 6.6 million ReConnect loan to deploy a fiber optic network. This network will connect 5,265 people, 32 businesses, 13 farms and two public schools to high-speed broadband in Linn and Polk counties in Oregon.
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