USDA announces $50 million to help connect rural Kansans to high-speed internet
By Connor Hills
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TOPEKA, Kansas (KMBC) — A large portion of rural Kansas is finally about to have access to high-speed internet connections.
Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $49.9 million loan that will be used to connect thousands of Kansas to reliable and affordable internet.
Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis announced that the project improve service for 149 businesses, 821 farms and over 4,000 people in Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette and Neosho counties.
“High-speed internet is essential in today’s world of online business, learning and communication,” Davis said.
Kansas received the funding through the USDA ReConnect Program.
The Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative Inc. in Kansas will receive a loan of exactly $49,954,702 to fund the project.
Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload.
People living in included areas can apply to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program to receive a discount of up to $30 per month on internet service. Qualifying households on Tribal Lands can receive up to $75 per month.
Information about available resources can be found here: rd.usda.gov
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