NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, along with a coalition of 15 leading organizations with a vested interest in the vitality and long-term viability of rural America, today sent a joint letter to leadership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Committees urging support of sufficient Fiscal Year 2026 funding for the telecommunications programs overseen by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Over the past 15 years, USDA has invested over $13 billion in loan and grant funding to support telecom projects throughout rural areas. Moreover, since 2010, borrowers under the Telecom Loan Program have paid back about $2.5 billion to the U.S. Treasury – not including interest – with infinitesimal default rates.
“Congress has long recognized the important role that RUS telecommunications and broadband programs play in rural America – and the payback they deliver to the nation as a whole. As we compete on a global stage with other nations investing substantial sums in reliable and robust networks that will power commerce and civic engagement, rural America must not be left behind when it comes to first-class connectivity,” said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield. “Today’s letter from organizations representing an array of rural agribusiness, educational, economic development, government, healthcare, and infrastructure interests underscores the widely perceived value of RUS telecom programs and the widespread support for sustaining them.”
Supporting Organizations:
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association
The Fertilizer Institute
National Association of Rural Health Clinics
National Milk Producers Federation
Power and Communication Contractors Association
Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation
National Association of Counties
National Association of Towns and Townships
CoBank
National Rural Water Association
National Rural Economic Development Association
Center for Rural Affairs
National Rural Education Association
Farm Credit Council
National Association of Realtors
American Farm Bureau Federation
To read the full letter, please click here.