The ReConnect Program is a new pilot program that offers unique federal financing and funding options in the form of loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that don’t currently have sufficient access to broadband. This pilot program hopes to generate private sector investment to deploy broadband infrastructure to provide high-speed internet e-Connectivity to as many rural premises as possible. With this program, USDA is offering $600 million in loans and grants through a new initiative to help expand access to broadband in underserved rural areas. The program will prioritize projects that seek to deliver higher-speed connections to rural homes, businesses and farms. Projects funded under the ReConnect Program must create access speeds of at least 25 megabits per second upload and 3 mbps download. Projects must also serve populations of fewer than 20,000 people, with grants expected to be awarded to more sparsely populated areas.
USDA Rural Development will host a series of informational webinars and workshops to provide more information on the ReConnect Program.
Please visit USDA Reconnect for up-to-date information on these events.
For further information, please note the following attachments;