The U.S. Department of Agriculture is again accepting rural broadband funding requests. Applications are being taken for $550 million in ReConnect Program loan and grant funding starting today. Broadband access is needed in states like South Dakota. South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke says the USDA assistance is helpful while earlier some Cooperatives had moved forward with broadband work to help underserved areas of the state.
He says due to the global economy, having access to broadband is critical and it has been helpful for his sons who are in the pheasant farm business.
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says second round fund applications will be taken from Telecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and utilities as well as internet provides and municipalities. Sombke says Co-ops play a key role in providing access to broadband.
The major goal of the ReConnect program is to provide broadband in areas that have insufficient service. That service is defined as connection speeds of less than ten megabits per second download and one megabit per second upload.
