LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Federal funding to connect rural Nevadans to reliable high-speed internet will include a $500,000 grant to deploy fiber networks in five counties and a loan of almost $23 million for broadband infrastructure in Lincoln County.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the funding through the Broadband Technical Assistance and ReConnect programs on Wednesday.
“USDA Rural Development is dedicated to realizing rural prosperity in Nevada,” State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad said in the announcement. “Internet access is critical to lowering barriers around education, healthcare, and new markets for rural Nevadans. Through Rural Development programs and investments, we’re proud to deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to the Silver State.”
Lincoln County Telephone System will receive a $22,997,014 loan through USDA’s ReConnect Program to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 660 people, six businesses and two farms in Lincoln County in Nevada.
8 News Now spoke to a Lincoln County Telephone official in early 2023 when the federal government was in the process of assessing needs for rural broadband projects. That official said federal funding could be an important part of solutions for his customers, who often overload their bandwidth by using many devices at once.
Lack of access to broadband internet is an annoyance for rural households. But it’s more than that for businesses. Spotty internet service limits what businesses can do, and prevents some companies from relocating outside of bigger cities. Broadband has been described as an “economic building block.”
Poor internet service also presents problems for telemedicine, something that’s in need in rural areas with limited access to specialists.
The pandemic was a wake-up call, exposing rural families’ poor connectivity as remote learning became the rule of the day. If Las Vegas had problems with education, the problem was much worse where the availability of broadband was sparse.
Valley Electric Association Inc. will receive a $542,281 Cooperative Agreement for a Broadband Technical Assistance pilot project in Nevada to promote the deployment of high-speed fiber networks to the rural areas of Clark, Esmeralda, Lyon, Mineral and Nye counties. Valley Electric will partner with local internet service providers and energy providers to promote the development of mid-mile and last-mile fiber in these remote areas of Nevada, according to a USDA news release.
Clark, Esmeralda, Lyon, Mineral and Nye counties are part of Nevada’s Rural Partners Network community networks. Valley Electric previously received an $80 million award to install a solar power generation and storage system.
