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Welcome to the Rural Development Telecommunications
Program
USDA Rural Development continues
to provide many programs for financing rural America's
telecommunications infrastructure. The Traditional
Telephone Loan program consists of hardship, cost
of money, and guaranteed loans that finance voice
telephone service. Since 1995, every telephone line
this program has constructed has also been capable
of providing broadband service using digital subscriber
loop (DSL) technology.
The Broadband Access Loan
program provides loans for funding the costs of construction,
improvement, and acquisition of facilities to provide
broadband service to eligible rural communities. The
Distance Learning and Telemedicine program continues
its charge of bringing electronic educational resources
to rural schools and improving health care delivery
in rural America. Lastly, the Community Connect Grant
program provides financial assistance to eligible
applicants that will provide currently unserved areas
with broadband service that fosters economic growth
and public safety services.
Based on a survey of Rural
Development's traditional telephone loan program borrowers
conducted in October 2006, approximately 92% of these
borrowers are providing high-speed Internet service
("broadband") to all of the telephone exchanges
in their service territories.
 Obama Adminstration Launches Initiative To Bring Broadband, Jobs to More Americans News Release | Notice of Funds Availability | BroadbandUSA Website | Broadband Initiatives Program Fact Sheet
Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Provides Notice of Buy American Limited Waiver Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Notice
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Rural Utilities Service Broadband Investment Program Information | Rural Development Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 Site |
