By Nancy Conway, USDA Rural Development, Arizona
A group was on hand for Arizona Rural Development State Director Alan Stephens announcement that the San Carlos Apache Telecommunications Utility, Inc. (SCATUI) will receive a grant of $5.2 million and a low-interest loan of $5.2 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). The loan/grant combination will be used to design, engineer, and construct a fiber-to-the-premises network to service the San Carlos and Bylas communities. “This project will bring broadband and telephone services and will serve a hospital and several doctor facilities that are currently unserved in the San Carlos area,” said Stephens. Joining in the announcement was Arizona U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick.
“In small communities, even small grants and loans are significant,” said Stephens. “When you start infusing more than $10 million into a region like San Carlos and Bylas, you are really having a huge impact on the people who live there.”
The Recovery Act project was funded through USDA Rural Development’s Broadband Initiatives Program.
