USDA Invests $4.79 Million in Rural Broadband for Wyoming

Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service Administrator Chad Rupe announced USDA has invested $4.79 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity in the county of Sweetwater. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.

 

“Given Wyoming’s low population density, high-speed broadband infrastructure is critical to developing the rural economy,” said Rupe. “With ReConnect, we are making targeted and important investments in regions that need it the most – communities such as Farson, for example. Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed as a strong partner to rural communities in deploying this critical infrastructure, for we know when rural America prospers, all of America prospers.”

 

All West Communications Inc. of Wyoming and Utah, will use the grant to fund the construction of high-speed broadband infrastructure in southwest Wyoming. Using fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) technology, the project is expected to provide services up to 1 gigabyte per second of data to two service areas that include nearly 320 rural households, 20 businesses, and 18 farms as well as schools in Farson and Granger, Wyo.

 

 

In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.

 

 

In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).

 

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.