Funding is Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Commitment
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and Oklahoma State Director Kenneth Corn announced today nearly $15.2 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers and business owners across rural Seminole County to affordable high-speed internet through the ReConnect Program, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This program is uniquely designed to fund the most difficult high-speed internet projects in the nation, which are the most rural, remote and unserved communities.
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 the economy from the bottom up and middle out by rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. This projected provided the Pottawatomie Telephone Company $7,590,406 in grant and $7,590,406 in loan. This project will serve Seminole Tribal Statistical Area and socially vulnerable communities in Seminole County.
“The President has made providing high-speed internet as one of the top priorities for USDA Rural Development to our rural and tribal communities in Oklahoma,” Corn said. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration we are now providing rural Oklahomans with an important lifeline to broadband services so they can conduct essential services such as healthcare, banking, educational services and more from the comfort of their home. More importantly by providing these resources many Oklahomans can stay in their rural communities, instead of feeling like they may be forced to move to bigger metro areas due to a gap in internet service.”
Many residents and businesses in rural areas would not have high-speed internet service without the ReConnect Program, as the program is a key part of the Administration’s Internet for All initiative to connect everyone in America to high-speed internet by 2030.
“President Biden has continued to prove that he is delivering on his promise to transform America and rebuild our economy with American ingenuity,” Corn said. “I am genuinely excited to see how this project not only improves the day-to-day needs of our rural Oklahomans and tribal members, but also how it will positively impact the next generation of Oklahomans to come.”
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. To learn more, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/ok.
