Biden-Harris administration provides $759 million to bring high-speed internet access to communities across rural America — $17.6 million for Siskiyou County
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the department is providing $759 million to bring high-speed internet access to people living and working across 24 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and Palau. Today’s investments include funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a historic $65 billion to expand reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the U.S.
“People living in rural towns across the nation need high-speed internet to run their businesses, go to school and connect with their loved ones,” Vilsack said. “USDA partners with small towns, local utilities and cooperatives, and private companies to increase access to high-speed internet so people in rural America have the opportunity to build brighter futures. Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA is committed to making sure that people, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet. That’s how you grow the economy – not just in rural communities, but across the nation.”
According to a statement from the USDA, $17.6 million in funding will go to Siskiyou County — but there’s no funding included for us here in Lassen County.
According to the statement, “This Rural Development investment will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 321 people, seven farms, six businesses and three public schools to high-speed internet in Siskiyou County, California. Cal-Ore Telephone will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs. This project will serve socially vulnerable communities in Siskiyou County, California.”
Siskiyou County is the only California county to receive this funding.
