USDA provides $57 million in funding to tribal communities. This funding will contribute to contemporary infrastructure, the deployment of high-speed Internet and economic development.
THE US Department of Agriculture announced broadband funding for two tribal areas through the ReConnect program.
Let’s read the news and find out more.
ReConnect program awards $57 million to tribal broadband
The ReConnect program provides funding to enable high-speed Internet connectivity in the most isolated and hard-to-reach rural areas of the United States.
The program aims to connect people to better employment, education and health care opportunities and promote long-term economic growth in these communities.
A $22.3 million grant will be awarded to serve 1,988 individuals, 12 businesses and 100 farms to establish an FTTP network in the Choctaw Tribal Statistical Area and socially vulnerable communities in Le Flore County, Oklahoma.
With this grant, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will install a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed Internet service.
$34.7 million grant awarded to build fiber-to-the-premises network and provide high-speed Internet access to 3,322 individuals, 47 businesses, 55 farms and seven educational institutions in Pine Territory Ridge and in Bennett and Oglala Lakota counties. in South Dakota.
The grant will help establish an FTTP network so everyone can access high-speed internet.
In a press release, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is committed to economic development for tribes and removing barriers for nations tribal. »
Vilsack added: “When we invest in modern infrastructure for people who live in tribal communities, we create a ripple effect that affects everyone. USDA is committed to building our economy from the middle and bottom up by providing high-speed internet access, clean water, and critical infrastructure to people in small towns and communities around the world, especially in places that have been underserved for far too long.
To be eligible for either grant, you must participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
Due to insufficient funding, the FCC officially announced that April would be the last full month of the ACP. If Congress does not provide more funds, the program will begin to wind down.
The USDA also reported that the administration awarded payments totaling $1.1 billion to 57 tribal communities under the ReConnect program.
These projects aim to alleviate the lack of internet access and help individuals access greater opportunities.
Many other federal organizations, besides the Department of Agriculture, provide funding to tribal communities.
As of September of last year, 28 tribal groups received funds totaling more than $74.4 million from the Department of Commerce. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).
Funds from various sources were disbursed in hopes of improving people’s lives and providing them with greater opportunities.
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