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Success Stories

Smith Island, Maryland

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods. For many, crabbing, oystering, and ecotourism are what puts dollars in their bank accounts, and food on their tables. In rural communities…
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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 16 Stories
A bearded man poses in front of a backdrop that says "GORiLLA LUBE" with industrial products on a table in front of him with orange labels.

Finding New Markets with USDA BioPreferred: Small Town Biobased Company has Outsized Impact on the Slopes and Ziplines of America

Scott and Kathie Lee are the founders of Gorilla Lube, based in Brownville, Maine.Scott Lee found his mission while still in college. At the time he worked for the Connecticut Department of Health inspecting public water supplies and tracing the source of pollutants… [Read More]
BiobasedBiopreferredBroadbandEntrepreneurMade in Rural AmericaManufacturing
Cartersville Volunteer Fire Department helmet

Broadband Provides Vital Lifeline for Protecting Lives and Property in Cartersville

Volunteer fire departments are an integral part of the communities they serve, carrying on a proud tradition of neighbor helping neighbor in times of trouble. Each member is committed to maintaining readiness to respond to every call, but those working in rural communities like… [Read More]
BroadbandFirst Responders
Robert and Andrea Nickels in the Hardware Hills Vineyard tasting room.

Uncorking New Business Growth with Broadband

Hardware Hills Vineyard is located about five miles from downtown Scottsville but might well be in the middle of its namesake river when it comes to network connectivity. Owners Andrea and Rob Nickels spent their first 10 days on the property without internet and had to schedule… [Read More]
BroadbandBusinessSmall Business
William French standing near produce in his farmers market.

Streamlining Farm Operations in Cumberland

William French’s family farm has been in continuous operation for more than a century, so each generation has had a front row seat for subtle shifts in the agricultural landscape of Central Virginia. Though a lot had changed since his great-great grandfather first grew tobacco… [Read More]
BroadbandBusinessSmall Business
Worker installing fiber line on an existing electric pole.

Transforming Lives and Livelihoods One Connection at a Time

It’s no coincidence that the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) named their internet subsidiary after a small, luminescent insect. The parallels between the push to power rural homes in the 1930’s and the challenge of bringing broadband to remote areas of the state… [Read More]
Broadband
Reel of Fiber in rural countryside.

ReConnecting Rural Residents to Reliable High-Speed Internet

High-speed internet used to be considered a luxury for many rural customers. When the pandemic hit, the need for reliable broadband service became a priority. Thanks to Rural Development’s ReConnect program, rural customers near Timber Lake now will have reliable internet… [Read More]
BroadbandInfrastructureTechnologyTelecommunicationsTribalUtilities
USDA RD's ReConnect program helped Lindsay's family access high-speed internet

Home Telephone Company Rings up ReConnect Success in McClellanville, South Carolina

Lindsay is a working mother in McClellanville, South Carolina, and like many people living in rural communities, lacking access to reliable, high-speed internet used to be a challenge that affected her entire family.   “Especially when the kids came home from school, and I was… [Read More]
BroadbandGrantsRural DevelopmentTelecommunications
People standing behind a sign

High Speed Internet for Southwestern Montana

Southern Montana Telephone Company, located in Wisdom, received a $3.3 million ReConnect grant in 2019 which they used to bring high-speed internet to nearly 1,000 customers, spread out over almost 2,000 miles, in Southwestern Montana. For more information on USDA Rural… [Read More]
BroadbandGrantsUtilities
ATMC is bringing access to the internet with speeds up to 1 Gps to thousands of homes and businesses in Columbus County since partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development. A recent ReConnect Grant of $7.9 million will expand their reach to another 4,000 homes and businesses.

Rural N.C. gets access to internet through USDA RD/ATMC

Rural North Carolina is continuing to adapt to the digital age where high-speed internet is essential. There is a powerful ally in this evolution with the Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation. ATMC is bringing access to the internet with speeds up to 1 Gps to thousands of… [Read More]
Broadband
Paul Bunyan Communications Staff

Bringing Home the Broadband in Rural Minnesota

Paul Bunyan Communications, based in Bemidji, Minnesota, has taken advantage of the RUS Telecommunications Broadband loan program to build-out a high speed broadband network covering their entire service area. Their goal of connecting every institution, every business, and every… [Read More]
Broadband

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