$18.5 Million in Funding for SC Rural Infrastructure Projects
Secretary Tom Vilsack of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled that the USDA is financing 216 initiatives across 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands. These projects aim to deliver high-speed internet, and cutting-edge infrastructure, and foster economic development in rural areas, aligning with President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Notably, four of these projects are designated for South Carolina.
According to the New Berry Observer, USDA is investing in $51.7 million to expand access to high-speed internet for people in rural areas across the country through the Reconnect Program and the Broadband Technical Assistance Program.
Under the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, USDA is providing $9.7 million to help 24 organizations deliver or receive technical assistance to expand high-speed internet access for people in rural and tribal communities across 17 states. This funding will also develop and expand broadband cooperatives in rural areas.
This program is made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion to expand reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the U.S.
Awards will benefit people living in Alaska, California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
