The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is inviting applications for the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program. Funding awarded through this program may be used to construct, improve, or acquire facilities and equipment to provide high-speed broadband to rural areas.
To be eligible, the applicant must serve an area where at least 15 percent of households are currently unserved. Applications proposing to provide broadband service to the most unserved households will receive priority. Additionally, applicants must provide a minimum bandwidth of ten megabits downstream and one megabit upstream for mobile service; for fixed service, applicants must provide a minimum bandwidth of 25 megabits downstream and three megabits upstream.
The minimum loan amount is $100,000, and the maximum award amount is $10 million. Under this program, loans and loan guarantees are awarded through a national competition.
There will be two application windows this year. Once an application is formally submitted through the online system RD Apply, USDA will be unable to provide additional assistance; nor can the applicant submit additional supporting information. Applications for the first window must be submitted between March 1 and March 31, 2017. Applications for the second window must be submitted between September 1 and September 30, 2017.
To assist with the development of complete applications, USDA is holding two pre-application periods during which Rural Development staff will be available to review draft applications and help applicants identify and correct deficiencies before the final applications are formally submitted. The first pre-application window is now open; it will close on March 24, 2017. The second pre-application window will take place from July 1, 2017, through September 22, 2017.
Additionally, USDA will offer two Rural Broadband Access Program webinars in January to provide information on the major eligibility and regulatory requirements of the program. These webinars will provide detailed guidance on how to submit a successful application, and participants will have an opportunity to ask questions. Due to the limited space available for each session, you must register in advance. The webinars are scheduled for the following times:
- Wednesday, January 18, 2017 | 10:00 to 11:00 am Pacific Time
- Thursday, January 26, 2017 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Pacific Time
More information is available on page 2309 of the January 9, 2017, Federal Register, and applicants are encouraged to refer to the Rural Broadband Access Application Guide.
Questions related to applications for USDA's Rural Broadband Access Program should be directed to Shawn Arner, (202) 720-0800. You can also learn more about the Rural Broadband Access Program online.