Contact: Lauren Gaydos, 703-351-2015
Arlington, Va., (July 28, 2022)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement of new investments in rural broadband through the ReConnect Program and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee program:
“We are thrilled by USDA’s latest investment in broadband deployment, which will provide over $200 million in funding for 13 NTCA members across the country. NTCA’s community-based members have a long track record of serving some of the most remote parts of the country, and as more funding is released, we are hopeful that USDA will continue to recognize the hard work of these small broadband providers. We look forward to continuing to work with USDA and other federal and state entities to ensure that community-based providers of all kinds can help rural Americans realize the fullest benefits of these broadband investments.”
The following NTCA members received funding through loans and grants announced today:
ReConnect:
- Bristol Bay Telephone Cooperative (King Salmon, Alaska)
- Cordova Telephone Cooperative (Cordova, Alaska)
- Volcano Telephone Company (Pine Grove, Calif.)
- Ponderosa Telephone Company (O’Neals, Calif.)
- Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative (Missoula, Mont.)
- Nemont Telephone Cooperative (Scobey, Mont.)
- Reservation Telephone Cooperative (Parshall, N.D.)
- ENMR Telephone Cooperative (Clovis, N.M.)
- Peñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative (Artesia, N.M.)
- Tularosa Basin Telephone Company (Tularosa, N.M.)
- Central Texas Telephone Cooperative (Goldthwaite, Texas)
- Five Area Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Muleshoe, Texas)
Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Guarantees:
- Valley Telephone Cooperative (Willcox, Ariz.)
Including today’s announcement, NTCA members have received over $1 billion through the ReConnect Program to deploy high-capacity broadband networks in communities across rural America.
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.