News

USDA boosts broadband access in Madison County

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 27, 2020

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing more than $3 million to provide broadband service in Madison County, serving more than 4,000 people, the Trump administration announced on Monday.

“The need for rural broadband has never been more apparent than it is now – as our nation manages the coronavirus national emergency. Access to telehealth services, remote learning for school children, and remote business operations all require access to broadband,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who made stops in Mills River, Asheville and Madison County on a trip to the N.C. mountains Monday. “I am so proud of our rural communities who have been working day in and day out, just like they always do, producing the food and fiber America depends on. We need them more than ever during these trying times, and expanding access to this critical infrastructure will help ensure rural America prospers for years to come.”

In rural North Carolina, French Broad Electric Membership Corporation will use a $3.2 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network to connect 4,056 people, 189 farms, 64 businesses and two fire stations to high-speed broadband internet in Madison County. The grant is part of the $100 million in grant funding made available for the ReConnect Pilot Program through the CARES Act.

USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. More investments made possible with these resources will be announced in the coming weeks.