Senator Stabenow Announces $22.5 Million High-Speed Internet Investment in Rural West Michigan
Two new projects will expand high-speed internet to Barry, Allegan, and Van Buren counties
Wednesday, May 13, 2020U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today joined U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to announce the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest $22.5 million to expand high-speed internet in three rural West Michigan counties. These investments were made possible by the Rural Development Broadband ReConnect Program, which Stabenow secured funding for in the 2018 bipartisan budget bill.
“Now more than ever, reliable high-speed internet service is a necessity, not a luxury,” said Senator Stabenow. “Students, farmers, businesses and families all rely on these services. And now, during the COVID19 crisis, online communications have become essential. These new investments bring us one step closer to making sure all families in our state have access to these essential services”
Barry County Services Company will receive $11.8 million in loans and grants to build infrastructure to expand high-speed internet in Barry County. Southwest Michigan Communications will receive $10.7 million in loans and grants to build infrastructure to expand high-speed internet in Allegan and Van Buren counties.
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