Broadband, Coming to a Rural Community Near You
The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency today announced a $267 million loan to Open Range Communications to bring portable, wireless broadband connectivity to rural areas in 17 states. The loan, one of the largest public-private investments in broadband service by the Federal government, will bring Wi-Max and satellite services to 518 rural communities. According to USDA Rural Development Undersecretary Thomas C. Door, the project will bring benefits in terms of economic expansion to rural America. From the press release:
“Portable, high-speed connectivity provides new options to help create business expansion in rural communities,” Rural Development Under Secretary Thomas C. Dorr noted. “Communities that lack broadband are often bypassed for new economic development investments. “Broadband is as important today as providing rural telephone service was 75 years ago, and we’re proud of our role in fostering public-private partnerships to bring broadband services to rural America.”
In his Science Progress report, “Ubiquity Requires Redundancy,” Mark Lloyd emphasizes the importance of broadband access–especially in rural America–to homeland security and natural disaster response. He makes the case for Federal investment in broadband access to ensure the U.S. has robust, reliable, and redundant networks with which to respond to emergencies and promote public safety. This partnership could be one project along that path to nation-wide connectivity.
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