The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has pledged
funding worth $410.7 million for a total of 28 rural
telephone operators to build, expand and improve
broadband in rural service territories across 15 states.
The announcement was made at the annual meeting
of the National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners in St Louis, Missouri.
Companies set to benefit from the investment include
the Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative in
Minnesota, which will extend its existing fiber-to-
the-home (FTTH) network to 45,710 households and
businesses in North Central Minnesota. Paul Bunyan has
been operating since 1952 and has been affiliated to
the Rural Utilities Service since 1953.
Announcing the news, USDA secretary Tom Vilsack
said: “Today’s funding will provide residents of these
rural communities with high speed internet connections
to improve healthcare and educational opportunities
and connect to global markets. In addition to providing
much needed services to rural businesses and
residents, these investments will increase jobs, not just
in the near term, but through expanded opportunities
in rural areas.”
Rural
broadband fund
announced
wiredInUSA - December 2011
32
