PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 18, 2024 — Residents of rural Lane County will ring in the new year with better connections and broader horizons. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) State Director for Oregon, Margi Hoffmann, today announced a $4.4 million investment to expand broadband coverage and connect more Oregonian families.
"For rural Oregonians, reliable internet is no longer a luxury. It is a lifeline," said Hoffmann. "With this investment, residents of Lane County will soon have better opportunities for connection, education, business growth, and healthcare access."
The $4.4 million ReConnect loan will go to Pioneer Telephone Company and will benefit homes, businesses, farms, and schools from the Mid-Valley to the coast. Reliable internet connections are also crucial to new telehealth services like mobile mental health units and remote neonatal care.
In addition to the $4.4 million invested in Lane County, USDA RD also announced over $309 million in funding to connect rural residents, farmers and business owners in 18 states to reliable high-speed internet through the ReConnect Program.
The ReConnect Program is specifically designed to fund the most difficult high-speed internet projects in the nation, which are in the most rural, remote and unserved communities, and many residents and businesses in rural areas would not have high-speed internet service without it. The program is a key part of the Administration’s Internet for All initiative to connect everyone in America to high-speed internet by 2030.
Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested approximately $4.4 billion for 360 ReConnect awards that will bring high-speed internet access to more than 680,000 people in the most rural and remote areas of America. More than $2.2 billion of this funding, which will benefit an estimated 341,000 people, was made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
A full list of projects from today’s announcement is available online.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to 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 facilities; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. Learn more at www.rd.usda.gov/or.