USDA invests $12.5M to deliver high-speed internet to rural Ohio
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development in Ohio State Director Jonathan McCracken announced last week that Imagine Networks, LLC, in Troy, Ohio, received a $12.5 million loan through USDA’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program to expand high-speed internet access in Ohio.
Imagine Networks will use this funding to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will provide high-speed internet access to more than 4,100 residents, 85 businesses, 275 farms, and three educational facilities in Champaign, Clark, Miami and Shelby counties.
“From education, to commerce, to social interaction – we live in an interconnected world so high-speed internet cannot be a luxury available to only a few. It has become a necessity for everyone and must be made available to all, especially in our rural communities,” said McCracken. “USDA is committed to extending high-speed internet infrastructure to rural Ohio communities – connecting the ‘last mile’ – to ensure everyone has the tools they need to be successful.”
The ReConnect Loan and Grant Program offers loans, grants and loan-grant combinations so eligible entities can build, improve or acquire facilities and equipment needed to extend high-speed internet service into rural communities.
In addition to Ohio, USDA awarded more than $300 million in ReConnect loans and grants to 25 projects in 17 other states to help with high-speed internet deployment. This investment is designed to expand internet services and infrastructure to help create long-term economic opportunities in those areas.
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