U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Trump Administration Invests $10.6 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming

Name
Kelly Clark
City
Carson City, NV
Release Date


$2.7 Million in ReConnect Funds to Service I-80 Corridor in Eastern Elko County

CARSON CITY, Nev. , Oct. 30, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $10.6 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program

“This is an area that has been underserved, impacting travelers and residents,” said USDA RD Nevada State Director Phil Cowee. “This funding helps fill that gap. We know that e-Connectivity helps rural people, businesses and communities to prosper, and when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

Beehive Telephone Company Inc. of Nevada will use a $2.7 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 147 people to high-speed broadband internet in Elko County, Nevada. The service area is located along the I-80 corridor east of Wells from the Wood Hills area to the Toano Range west of Wendover.

In addition, Beehive Telephone Company Inc. will use a $2.3 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect four residents, four farms and four businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Washington County, Utah.

All West Communications Inc. will use a $5.6 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 188 people, nine businesses and five farms to high-speed broadband internet in Summit County in Utah,; Bear Lake County in Idaho,; and Sweetwater and Lincoln counties in Wyoming.

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.

On April 20, 2020, USDA announced the Department has received 172 applications for $1.57 billion in Round Two of the ReConnect Program. The second round will enable USDA to implement innovative new solutions to rural connectivity by leveraging financial options with our partners and continuing the success of the first round of funding. The application window for Round Two closed on April 15.

In Round One of the ReConnect Program, USDA invested $698 million to bring high-speed
broadband e-Connectivity to approximately 167,000 households, 17,000 rural small businesses and farms, and more than 500 health care centers, educational facilities and critical community facilities located in 33 states. To learn more about individual investments, read
USDA’s Broadband ReConnect Program report.

USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act.

To learn more about ReConnect Program eligibility, technical assistance and recent announcements, visit www.usda.gov/reconnect.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.