Continuing support for rural broadband, the Department of Agriculture Monday announced a $3.8 million broadband investment in Virginia.
The announcement creates and improves high-speed broadband connections to more than 1,250 rural homes in Virginia as part of the new ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
DJ LaVoy, deputy undersecretary for rural development, says the USDA mission of increasing rural prosperity “cannot be achieved without addressing the digital divide rural communities face.”
In March of 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the ReConnect program in December, and started receiving applications in May of this year.
USDA received 146 applications requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products, a 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations.
USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis.
Additional investments will be announced in the coming weeks.
