House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott today released the below statement after U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $714 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers, and business owners across 19 states to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. Connecting all communities across the United States to high-speed internet is a central part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild our economy by rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, which is driving over $470 billion in private sector manufacturing investments and creating good-paying jobs.
“Reliable high-speed internet access is crucial for businesses to access and compete in markets, improve education attainment, and provide for the health, safety, and well-being of our communities,” said Ranking Member Scott. “The digital divide is real and it hurts rural America. Rural residents are twice as likely as urban ones to lack high-speed internet at home and the majority of people who do not have internet access live in rural areas. The historic $700 million investment in closing the digital divide in rural America will create jobs, allow our farmers to use the latest precision agricultural technology, empower rural businesses to get goods and services to market, and connect rural students with education. I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for its efforts to ensure rural America can take full advantage of all the opportunity that access to reliable high-speed internet provides.”
Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $65 billion to connect all of America to high-speed internet through the Internet for All initiative. USDA is connecting more people to high-speed internet in this fourth funding round of the ReConnect Program. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested in 142 ReConnect projects that will bring high-speed internet access to 314,000 rural Americans.
Today’s announcement includes $714 million in USDA investments in Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.
Background: ReConnect Program
Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload. Applicants must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service with speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in the proposed service area. Additionally, to ensure that rural households that need internet service can afford it, all awardees will be required to apply to participate in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP offers a discount of up to $30 per month towards internet service to qualifying low-income households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal Lands.
Background: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
President Biden forged consensus and compromise between Democrats, Republicans and Independents to demonstrate our democracy can deliver big wins for the American people. After decades of talk on rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure, President Biden delivered the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – a historic investment in America that will change people’s lives for the better and get America moving again. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $65 billion to ensure every American has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in broadband infrastructure deployment. The legislation also lowers costs for internet service and helps close the digital divide, so that more Americans can take full advantage of the opportunities provided by internet access.
