Alabama to expand broadband in rural counties through federal program
A federal investment aimed at improving broadband in rural areas in Alabama is in the works. Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development ReConnect loan/grant program, according to a release, Alabama stands to rake in $28,817,588 in grants and another $24,865,787 as part of a loan that will extend high-speed internet access in 10 counties as part of the third round of grants. The funding was announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President [Joe] Biden’s commitment to high-speed internet in rural communities is foundational to ensuring that the nation’s economy continues to expand from the bottom up and the middle out,” Vilsack said in a release. “High-speed internet will improve the rural economy. It will help rural businesses grow and get access to new markets. It will help rural residents get access to more and better health care and educational opportunities. USDA knows rural America is America’s backbone, and prosperity here means prosperity for all.” A loan and grant, according to the release, totaling $49,731,574 will be used to construct a fiber-to-the premises network that will provide high-speed internet access to 15,989 people, 608 businesses, 52 education facilities, and 407 farms in Choctaw, Clarke, Dallas, Marengo, Perry and Wilcox counties. Pine Belt Telephone Company, the release reads, will work to ensure high-speed internet is affordable through the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program and is aimed at serving communities in Choctaw, Dallas, and Clarke counties that are deemed socially vulnerable. A second grant totaling $3,951,801, according to the release, will be delivered to Butler, Crenshaw, Lowndes, and Montgomery counties that will serve 1,812 people, 30 businesses, 53 farms, and four public schools. The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline Program will be used by Mon-Cre Telephone Cooperative Inc. to ensure discounts are made to qualifying users. Funding for the projects, according to the release, comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Bradley Byrne applauds USDA’s new relending program to reduce rural poverty
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday unveiled an innovative partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development with community development organizations from across the country, providing $401 million of Community Facilities program funds to recipients with a track record of successful programs to help reduce poverty in some of the nation’s poorest and most isolated rural communities. Twenty-six community development organizations were approved to draw upon the funding to provide long-term, low-interest financing to be “re-lent” to local entities to build, acquire, maintain, or renovate essential community facilities. The funds also may be used for capacity building and to finance essential community services, such as education, health care, and infrastructure. “This effort builds on our commitment to lifting up the economic prospects of communities that have not benefited from the revitalization of rural America,” Vilsack said. “By engaging with local and national partners, private-sector financial institutions and philanthropic organizations, USDA will inject a game-changing level of investment capital to reduce poverty in targeted rural areas where the capacity for growth has not been realized.” United Bank, based in Atmore, Alabama, has been selected to serve as a lender in the program. United Bank’s loan totals $40 million, which will now be re-loaned to local communities. This is the largest Community Facilities Relending Program loan in the United States. Alabama 1st District U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne, who represents Atmore, applauded the new initiative. “I applaud the efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture to help our rural communities in Southwest Alabama,” said Byrne in a news release. “These rural communities face many distinct challenges, and this loan program will allow them to make critical investments in infrastructure to improve the quality of life for local residents.” “I’m especially pleased a local bank, United Bank in Atmore, has been selected to serve as the community lending institution, and I look forward to following the impact the program has on Alabama’s rural communities.” Public bodies, community-based nonprofit corporations, and federally recognized tribes are eligible to apply for the loan program. Funds from the loan program can be used on a range of essential community facilities or equipment including healthcare facilities, town halls, courthouses, child care centers, fire departments, police vehicles, libraries, food pantries, and more. Atmore’s specific funds will be available to counties in Southwest Alabama and Northwest Florida.
