USDA Announces Available Funding for Farm Bill Broadband Loan Program

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of loans to build broadband infrastructure in rural areas, along with changes to the program required by the 2014 Farm Bill, said a Thursday USDA news release. In a notice in the Thursday Federal Register, USDA said it's establishing two funding cycles to review and prioritize applications for the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee program, the release said. USDA also is setting a minimum level of acceptable broadband service at 4 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up, it said. To be eligible for funding, an applicant must serve an area where at least 15 percent of the households are unserved, it said. USDA is accepting comments on the changes through Sept. 28, the release said. Applications are due Sept. 30.