Please view this link for full story: http://www.usda.gov/2005/09/0409.xml Release No. 0409.05 USDA ANNOUNCES $ 9 MILLION IN BROADBAND GRANTS Broadband Services to be Extended to 19 Communities in 14 States and Puerto Rico WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2005 - Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner today announced that $9 million in broadband community connect grants will be awarded to 19 communities in 14 states and Puerto Rico. The funds will connect essential community facilities in rural towns and communities where no broadband services currently exist. "The Bush Administration continues to encourage the economic vitality that can result from broadband deployment in rural areas," said Conner. "The announcement of these grants furthers the President's goal to provide all Americans with access to broadband technology." One grant will be awarded to the community of Glendora, Miss. Funds totaling $325,405 will provide for the installation of wireless technology to connect a library, clinic, and public safety facilities. The village of Hughes, Alaska will receive $278,871 in grant funds to cover the entire community with overlapping wireless "hot spots." A web site will be designed to enable community businesses to sell items over the Internet. Local residents will also earn income by providing data processing services, and will use videoconferencing to deliver educational classes to homes and the community center. Timber Lake, S.D., will receive a grant of $393,309 to create a community center that provides public access points, free broadband, distance learning and an e-commerce incubator for small businesses and residents of the community. A total of 111 community connect grant applications were received this year. Of the 19 communities selected for funding, 16 will employ wireless technologies and the other three will provide service over fiber optic cable. Communities selected do not have access to broadband technology for essential services including police protection, fire service, hospitals, libraries and schools. Since its inception four years ago, the Community Connect Broadband Grant program has provided 109 grants and invested over $39 million to provide service to local communities. As part of the grant requirements, each community is required to make at least 10 computers available to members of the public. The Community Connect program supplements USDA Rural Development's standard high-speed telecommunications loan program. A complete list of the grants is available on the USDA web site at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov. USDA Rural Development has invested more than $54 billion since the beginning of the Bush Administration to increase homeownership opportunities, promote business development, and improve community and technology infrastructure. As a result, more than one million jobs have been created or saved. Further information on rural programs is available at any Rural Development office or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov USDA News oc.news@xxxxxxxx 202 720-4623 ---------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to webservices@xxxxxxxx and reference your email address.
