by Tyler Hale
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $7 million in two rural high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in Arkansas. The funds are part of $600 million earmarked for broadband expansion in rural America.
The two projects, totaling $7.1 million, will upgrade facilities from copper cable and drops to FTTH networks in Baxter, Marion and Stone counties.
Yelcot Telephone Company will provide services for the Baxter County and Marion County. The company will use a $1.7 million ReConnect Program grant and a $1.7 million loan to upgrade networks. This project is expected to affect 548 households in the area.
The second project will be handled by Mountain View Telephone County, which is handling Stone County. With a $3.7 million ReConnect Program grant, the company will upgrade from copper cable to FTTH networks, with an expected impact of 702 households, 15 pre-subscribed farms and a pre-subscribed businessin the county.
“Through USDA’s ReConnect Program, more than 1,250 Arkansans living in rural communities will get access to the latest broadband technology that will connect them to opportunities in education, health care and economic development,” USDA Rural Development Arkansas State Director David Branscum said in a statement. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has made deploying this critical infrastructure across rural America a top priority because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
According to the USDA’s ReConnect Program website, the government agency has so far invested $343,429,703 in broadband infrastructure across 22 states. This marks the first round of funding for the ReConnect Program.
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced in December 2019 that $550 million would be made available in the second round of the ReConnect Pilot Program. This round of funding opens Jan. 31 and will close March 16.
To date, the largest high-speed broadband investment in a single state has been Alabama. In December 2019, the USDA announced that it would be providing $62.3 million for broadband infrastructure projects in the state. The Alabama projects are expected to impact more than 8,000 rural households, 57 farms, 44 businesses, 17 educational facilities, 14 critical community facilities and three health care facilitiesin rural parts of the state.
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