RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 17, 2024 – Thousands of Southwest Virginia residents, farmers and business owners will soon benefit from today’s announcement of nearly $173 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants and loans to bring reliable, affordable broadband coverage to rural communities in 10 states.
The Pembroke Telephone Cooperative (PemTel) is included in the fifth funding round of the ReConnect Program, which is a key component of the Administration’s Internet for All initiative to bring high-speed connections to every U.S. community by 2030. Uniquely designed to fund difficult projects in remote and unserved areas, this program will help deliver service to three more socially vulnerable communities in Virginia.
PemTel began as a telephone service provider in 1967 and has placed a high priority on offering friendly, personal service to members. The cooperative will continue to deliver on its slogan of “Neighbors Serving Neighbors” by using a $10 million loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will bring high-speed internet to 2,127 people, 22 businesses, and 130 farms in Craig, Giles and Montgomery counties.
“People in rural America have been left out of the digital economy for far too long,” said Perry Hickman, USDA Rural Development Virginia State Director. “We have a longstanding relationship with PemTel to address this disparity and are pleased to provide the most substantial investment to date to help reduce the costs of adopting precision agriculture, enhance rural students’ prospects for success, and open new markets for business owners.”
Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested more than $4 billion for 345 ReConnect projects that will bring high-speed internet access to more than 600,000 people in the most rural and remote areas of America. These projects directly support President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild the economy as the funding announced today will also connect people in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Oregon.
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.
A full list of projects from today’s announcement is available 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.
