New grant extends high speed Internet to rural Michigan
The community of Applegate, Michigan, is about to get plugged in to high speed Internet, thanks to the Community Connect program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Along with twenty-four other communities nationwide, Applegate will use a $223,862 grant to deploy a high speed network to improve city emergency services and educational opportunities and allow residents to use free high speed Internet for two years at the town's community center.
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr said about the initiative:
"These funds will provide a critical link between essential community facilities in areas where no broadband service currently exists. The grants will be used to improve public safety and enable residents to pursue on-line educational opportunities."
The measure is part of USDA's recent roll-out of over fifteen million dollars in high speed Internet Community Connect grants. Previously, the USDA rural development fund has helped provide rural residents in Maine with high speed opportunities. This kind of federal government is crucial if we are to bring the benefits of high speed Internet to all Americans.
USDA Rural Development Announces Broadband Grant in Michigan (USAgNet)
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