March 8, 2010 – Twenty-two new
infrastructure projects will give rural residents in 18 states or
territories access to improved economic and educational opportunities.
Funding for the projects is being provided through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act.
"These broadband projects will provide rural America
access to the tools it needs to attract new businesses, educational
opportunities and jobs," according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack..
"The Obama Administration understands that bringing broadband to rural
America is an economic gateway for people, business owners, and key
institutions - such as libraries, hospitals, public safety buildings and
community centers. Broadband is important for rural communities to remain
strong in the 21st Century."
In all, more than $254.6 million will be invested in 22
projects. An additional $13.1 million in private investment will be provided
in matching funds. Congress provided USDA $2.5 billion in Recovery Act
funding to assist applicants to bring broadband services to rural unserved
and underserved communities. To date, $895.6 million has been provided to
support 55 broadband projects in 29 states or territories.
Among those areas are:
Georgia: Flint Cable TV - Flint Digital Wave Project;
$4,095,913 loan and $4,095,913 grant. The funding will provide a Hybrid
Fiber Coaxial (HFC) network to homes in underserved areas of Culloden,
Yatesville, and Friendship Community in rural central Georgia. This HFC
network will use the latest DOCSIS 3.0 cable standard, enabling channel
bonding and speeds up to 100Mbps.
Mississippi - Bay Springs Telephone Co.: Bay Springs
Broadband Initiatives Project; $4,304,496 loan and $4,135,693 grant. The
funding will expand advanced DSL broadband services to unserved and
underserved areas within Jasper, Jones, Rankin, Scott, and Smith Counties,
Mississippi.
Texas - PRIDE Network, Inc.: The Texas South Plains
Project; $22,720,551 loan and $21,829,549 grant. The funding will provide a
FTTP telecommunications infrastructure, with a WiMAX service-extension
overlay that will bring advanced broadband services to rural communities of
the Texas South Plains region.
Texas - PRIDE Network, Inc.: The Burkburnett and Iowa
Park Project; $12,811,071 loan and $6,309,931 grant. The funding will
provide a FTTP telecommunications infrastructure, with a WiMAX
service-extension overlay, that will bring advanced broadband services to
the rural communities of Burkburnett and Iowa Park (less than five percent
of this network will serve an area in Oklahoma).
Texas - XIT Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc.: The FTTP
and Very High Speed DSL2 (VDSL2) Combination Application Project; $3,065,440
grant, and $3,190,560 private investment. The funding will provide a FTTP
and Fiber-to-the-Node (FTTN) advanced DSL technology within two separate
service areas in and around the communities of Dalhart and Stratford.
