USDA Invests $15.5 Million In Broadband For Rural Louisiana Communities

ALEXANDRIA, LA  – Tuesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Louisiana State Director Roy Holleman announced USDA has invested $15.5 million in a high-speed broadband infrastructure project that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 2,609 rural households, 12 pre-subscribed businesses and 16 pre-subscribed farms in Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry parishes. This is one of many funding announcements in the final round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.

“Through USDA’s ReConnect Program, thousands of Louisianans living in rural communities will get access to the latest broadband technology that will connect them to opportunities in education, health care and economic development,” Holleman said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities to deploy this critical infrastructure, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

Star Telephone Company Inc. will use a $7.7 million ReConnect Program grant and a $7.7 million ReConnect Program loan to deploy 154 miles of optical fiber and 95 miles of drop optical fiber cable to the premises. The project will cover 136 square miles in Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry parishes.

Background:

In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.

These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1 Mbps upload.