Policy & Politics
Connect
What's this?Recent News
- Ohio Livestock Coalition accepting nominations for 'Neighbor of the Year' awards
- Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductees announced
- Ohio Congressional delegation involved in Farm Bill progress
- It’s half a ton, it’s on the loose and it wants to run. Stay calm?
- Legal tips for all purpose vehicle use
Biden Announces 4 Billion in Broadband Funds
In the first stop of the Obama Administration’s rural tour in Wattsburg, Pa., Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden announced the availability of $4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act loans and grants to help bring broadband service to unserved and underserved communities across America. Biden was joined by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.) at Seneca High School in Wattsburg. The Recovery Act provided a total of $7.2 billion to the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to accelerate broadband deployment in areas of the country that have been without the high-speed infrastructure.  Of that funding, NTIA will utilize $4.7 billion to deploy broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas in the United States, expand public computer center capacity and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. RUS will invest $2.5 billion to facilitate broadband deployment in rural communities.