USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that the agency is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations, and tribes to support more high-speed internet deployment in 11 states. USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, which is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding will extend the reach of other high-speed internet programs to meet the goal of connecting every community with affordable, reliable high-speed internet.
“Keeping the people of rural America connected with reliable, high-speed internet brings new and innovative ideas to the rest of the country,” Torres Small said during an appearance in Texas. “USDA is partnering with small towns, cooperatives, local utilities, and private companies working to ensure that people, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet.”
She also says that’s how to grow the economy, not just in rural communities, but across the nation.
