RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 31, 2024 – Residents of Carroll and Rockbridge counties will soon have greater access to fast, affordable internet service thanks to a $9.4 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investment in broadband projects funded through the Community Connect Program.
Citizens Telephone Cooperative is receiving a $5 million grant to construct a fiber-to-the-home system that will benefit 1,838 residents and 22 businesses in its Carroll County service area. Up to 1000 megabits per second (Mbps) downloads and 500 Mbps uploads will be available to subscribers with free access offered at the Dugspur Community Center for at least two years.
BARC Electric Cooperative’s $4.4 million grant will be used to install a fiber-to-the-premises system that will benefit 816 residents and four businesses in Rockbridge County. Subscribers will get up to 1000 Mbps of symmetrical service and two computer workstations will be installed in the offices of the Lake Robertson recreation area to make free internet available to citizens for at least two years.
“These connections will touch almost every aspect of people’s lives, offering greater economic and educational opportunities as well as vital connections to health care and public safety services for more rural residents,” said Perry Hickman, USDA Rural Development Virginia State Director. “Today’s investment demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that every Virginian has the tools to succeed.”
The Virginia funding is part of a broader announcement Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke made in Arizona today to highlight more than $63.8 million in grants to build high-speed internet networks in rural areas of Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
The Community Connect Program helps bring high-speed internet service to areas where it is least likely to be commercially available but can make a tremendous difference in quality of life. The projects funded by these grants help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the internet for individual and community development. Award recipients also use of portion of these funds to equip community centers to provide free high-speed internet service for a minimum of two years.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans 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, tribal and high-poverty areas.
View the full list of projects online. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov or contact the Virginia Rural Development state office. Also visit our GovDelivery subscriber page to receive regular USDA Rural Development updates.