The USDA's Rural Utilities Service said Tuesday (March 23)
it has handed out another $150 million in broadband grants and loans for 12
projects in eight states.
Winning bidders will pony up $68 billion of their own in
matching funds--a requirement of the stimulus funding--making the total
investment $218.2 million.
The states getting the money are Alaska,
Arizona, Illinois,
Kansas, Minnesota,
North Dakota, Oklahoma
and Texas.
The projects range from middle-mile funding in Alaska
to new WiMAX access points in central Minnesota
to fiber-to-the home and fixed wireless to an Arizona reservation.
RUS has so far given out $1.05 billion to projects in 30
states (and one territory).
The grants and loans are part of the $7.2 billion in
stimulus funds set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan (ARRP).
