USDA
Rural Development continues to
provide many programs for financing
rural America's telecommunications
infrastructure. The Traditional
Telephone Loan program consists of
hardship, cost of money, and
guaranteed loans that finance voice
telephone service. Since 1995, every
telephone line this program has
constructed has also been capable of
providing broadband service using
digital subscriber loop (DSL)
technology.
The Broadband Access Loan program
provides loans for funding the costs
of construction, improvement, and
acquisition of facilities to provide
broadband service to eligible rural
communities. The Distance Learning
and Telemedicine program continues
its charge of bringing electronic
educational resources to rural
schools and improving health care
delivery in rural America. Lastly,
the Community Connect Grant program
provides financial assistance to
eligible applicants that will
provide currently unserved areas
with broadband service that fosters
economic growth and public safety
services.
Based on a survey of Rural
Development's traditional telephone
loan program borrowers conducted in
October 2006, approximately 92% of
these borrowers are providing
high-speed Internet service
("broadband") to all of the
telephone exchanges in their service
territories.
To
learn more about the history of REA
and RUS, click on the corresponding
links below.
What is the Rural Electrification
Act?
What is
the Rural Utility Service?
