USDA funds 12 rural broaband projects -- $97M

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to invest $97 million in 12 projects in 11 states: Arizona, Iowa, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The funding is intended to improve rural broadband. The funding will be made available through the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program and the Community Connect Grant Program.

Example projects include:

Chibardun Telephone Cooperative, Inc. in Cameron, Wis., is receiving a $21.4 million loan to improve outside plant facilities in four (Almena, Cameron, Dallas and Ridgeland) of its six exchanges. It will construct 675 miles of fiber-to-the-premises and install associated electronics. Chibardun serves Barron and Dunn counties. Approximately 2,700 subscribers will receive improved service as a result of this loan.

Osage Innovative Solutions, LLC in Tulsa, Okla., is receiving a $2.7 million grant to construct a hybrid fiber-to-the-premises and fixed wireless system in an unserved and economically depressed portion of the Osage Nation in Osage County. The company will offer speeds up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 10 Mbps upload to 139 households and 22 businesses.

The Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone Company, in Green City, is receiving a $13.7 million loan to convert six exchanges from copper plant to fiber-to-the-premises. It will construct nearly 500 route miles of fiber. Northeast Missouri expects to improve service to 1,063 subscribers.

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USDA Announces New Projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is funding 24 projects through several loan and grant programs administered by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS); Broadband, Telecommunications loans, the Community Connect grant program, and the Public Television Digital Transition.

In the recently completed fiscal year, USDA Rural Development has funded over $170 million in rural telecommunications projects nationwide.

Broadband Loans

North Dakota

• Consolidated Enterprises, Inc. –$68,897,967; FTTH primarily in the outer city limits of Dickinson and the adjacent rural areas in Stark County.

Community Connect Grants

Indiana

• Q-Wireless, LLC,– $782,000; Broadband services through the construction of a wireless middle-mile and access network.

Kentucky

• Inter Mountain Cable, Inc. — $1,059,704; a Hybrid Fiber-Coax Network.

Louisiana and Pennsylvania

• MTPCS, LLC, – $144,670; Upgrade MTPCS’ cellular telephone network

Virginia

• Scott County Telephone Co-Operative,-$1,500,000; FTTP network.

Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans

California

• Kerman Telephone Company– $10,057,000. FTTH network.
• Foresthill Telephone Company, Inc.– $6,560,000. FTTH network

North Dakota

• Northwest Communications Cooperative– $9,870,000. Fiber-to-premises facilities in six of the 16 exchanges.

Oregon

• Monitor Cooperative Telephone Company– $2,865,000; Funds will be used to build fiber-to-premises facilities capable of broadband services to all customers in the borrower’s service area.

Texas

• Mid-Plains Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. – $2,590,000; Fiber and Gigabit Ethernet to exchanges.

Various projects related to digital transition in public television were also funded.

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov

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