USDA Rural Field Office Installer in Pacific Rim
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.
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.
To
learn more about the history of REA
and RUS, click on the corresponding
links below.
What is the Rural Electrification
Act?
What is
the Rural Utility Service
