Members of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association (Arlington, Va.) have received over $375 million in loans and grants for broadband deployment through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest distribution of ReConnect Program funding.
According to an NTCA press release, the agency has awarded more than half a billion dollars to NTCA members so far this year, including previously announced awards of approximately $200 million through its ReConnect and Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee programs.
The following NTCA members received funding through ReConnect loans and grants announced on Sept. 22:
- Arctic Slope Telephone (Anchorage, Alaska)
- Pine Belt Telephone Company Inc. (Arlington, Ala.)
- Mon-Cre Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Ramer, Ala.)
- Fort Mojave Telecommunications, Inc. (Mohave Valley, Ariz.)
- Egyptian Telephone Cooperative Association (Steeleville, Ill.)
- Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association (Lake Mills, Iowa)
- JBN Telephone Company Inc. (Holton, Kan.)
- Upsala Cooperative Telephone Association (Upsala, Minn.)
- Spring Grove Communications (Spring Grove, Minn.)
- Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation (Macon, Mo.)
- Bay Springs Telephone Company Inc. (Bay Springs, Miss.)
- TEC of Jackson Inc. (Jackson, Miss.)
- Project Telephone Company (Scobey, Mont.)
- Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation (Shallotte, N.C.)
- Halstad Telephone Company (Halstad, Minn.)
- Consolidated Enterprises Inc. (Dickinson, N.D.)
- Griggs County Telephone Co. (Enderlin, N.D.)
- BEK Communications Cooperative (Steele, N.D.)
- Oregon Telephone Corporation (Mt. Vernon, Ore.)
- Dekalb Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Alexandria, Tenn.)
- Big Bend Telephone Company Inc. (Alpine, Texas)
- Taylor Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Merkel, Texas)
- Totelcom Communications LLC (De Leon, Texas)
- Tri-County Telephone Association Inc. (Cody, Wyo.)
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association represents nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative broadband technologies into smart rural communities across America.
NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield, commented:
“NTCA’s community-based broadband providers have a long track record of serving some of the most remote parts of our country, so it’s thrilling—even if not a surprise—to see so many of our members seek and receive awards to help connect even more rural Americans to high-speed Internet. We are grateful that USDA has recognized the hard work of these providers, and we look forward to working with federal and state entities to ensure that community-based providers of all kinds can continue to help rural America get and stay connected.”