USDA https://www.usda.gov has announced several investments in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments in high speed broadband infrastructure to create or improve rural e-Connectivity. These funding announcements are included in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program https://www.usda.gov/econnect/program.
One of the goals of the ReConnect Program is to expand broadband service to rural areas without sufficient broadband access, which is defined as 10 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 1 Mbps upstream
USDA is investing in the first round of the ReConnect Pilot Program funding for $9.75 million in rural broadband to help in South Carolina. Orangeburg County South Carolina will use the grant funding to deploy fiber to the home broadband network that is capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 Mbps or greater. The funded services area includes 3,911 households, 21 farms, 17 rural businesses, 13 educational facilities, nine critical community facilities, and a healthcare center.
It was also announced that USDA would invest $2.85 million in high speed rural broadband in Tennessee to improve e-Connectivity for 347 rural households and one critical community facility.