RUS Completes First Round of Stimulus Funding

On March 30, RUS announced the final Round One American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) broadband stimulus project.

Reservation Telephone Cooperative was selected to receive a $10.95 million loan and a $10.95 million grant to provide service in the remote and rural areas in and around the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The project will bring broadband service to homes, businesses, schools and libraries. In addition, service will be provided to tribal government facilities which provide tribal child support, education assistance, employment assistance, health care and public safety services on the reservation. The area has experienced poverty rates as high as 28%, and a 40% unemployment rate.

Today’s announcement concludes the first round of ARRA funding. To date, $1.067 billion has been invested by RUS through the ARRA for 68 broadband projects. Together, the projects will make high-speed Internet available to an estimated 529,000 households and 96,000 rural business and public facilities across 31 states, one territory and 17 tribal lands and predominantly Alaska Native regions.

Future ARRA funds will be dolled out in subsequent funding rounds. Of note, Round Two closed to applications March 29 and winners are expected to be announced on a rolling basis.

Related posts:

1. Govt Announces Second Round of Broadband Funding
2. Government Awards $795 million in Stimulus Round 2
3. NTIA Reports $11B in Round 2 Broadband Stimulus Applications
4. USDA Reports On Round 1 Stimulus Awards
5. RUS Awards $1.2 Billion in Stimulus Funds