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USDA wants public/private projects to expand broadband

 

U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says more partnership will be needed to finance rural broadband expansions.

“I don’t think it’s expected of the federal government or any government to do everything.  We want a business model that’s sustainable and viable for the future with a subscriber base.  Often times it takes a government entity to take that risk to get it over the top at the beginning.”

Perdue and a coalition of stakeholders, including Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, Farm Foundation, NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, CoBank, and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, gathered Wednesday for the first in a series of listening sessions to understand the needs for a national strategy to address broadband connectivity. The next one is scheduled for June in Minnesota.

Perdue says e-connectivity could be one of most transformative things that can be done for America.

USDA is currently accepting grants applications to fund broadband infrastructure projects in rural communities.

Audio provided by USDA