Just yesterday I was doing a podcast with the folks at Utility Strategy when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its role in broadband deployment came up. Not unusually, the person I was chatting with was surprised to hear that USDA had any play in this space, much less one that is so significant. With the recent announcement of a new Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator Andy Berke it seems worth a little attention on this key agency.
Such a conversation is significant today, in particular, because USDA/RUS announced the most recent award of $759 million to bring high-speed internet access to consumers in 27 states and territories as part of the ReConnect program funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. More than $400 million of this support will go to NTCA broadband providers who will utilize it to serve nearly 74,000 people, 2,000 businesses, 5,500 farms and 122 schools. I continue to be so proud of our membership for stepping up to the plate in a huge way to bring service and connectivity to rural Americans and their communities.
RUS has been operating the past few years under the veteran leadership of Chris McLean, who has taken a few turns as permanent and acting administrator with his long-time expertise and steady hand during a very active time of broadband deployment. We no doubt will have continued appreciation for Chris and all he has brought to the agency, as well as delight that he still plays a leadership role in the program even with the addition of Andy to the team.
I had the opportunity to meet with Andy last week with Brendan Dailey, one of our fine government affairs team members. We sat down with him and Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Farah Ahmad to compare notes on programs and priorities. We also brought him up to speed on NTCA, highlighting who our membership is and the exemplary way they serve their communities. I was thrilled to talk about how NTCA members build Smart Rural Communities across the country (as we just added number 250 to our rolls!) and share how those communities are well positioned for growth and economic prosperity.
We also had the opportunity to share that in more rural areas, it makes sense for local municipalities to partner with their community-based providers rather than competing in markets that are already challenging. I even referenced NTCA’s recent joint webinar on partnerships, sharing the different ways local entities can come together to share risks and rewards for their communities.
So who is Administrator Berke? He is a long-time public servant, having served as a Tennessee State Senator, been elected as the mayor of Chattanooga, and worked with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration nearly a year ago to kickstart their BEAD Program efforts. He has long focused on digital inclusion, equity, and connectivity. His experience in Chattanooga was informative as the city built and owns its own broadband network.
We are looking forward to the opportunity to get Andy on the road to see some of the RUS money at work and to further celebrate together why the RUS program is such a key player in the broadband deployment space.