NEWS
RELEASE
United States Department
of Agriculture Rural Development
3001 Coolidge Rd. 2nd Floor North Suite 200 East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 324-5204 Fax: (517) 324-5225
alec.lloyd@mi.usda.gov
Contact: Alec Lloyd
(517) 324-5204
TDS Telecommunications Corp. Breaks Ground on Rural Broadband Internet Connections Thanks to USDA Rural Development
EAST LANSING, May 17, 2011 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture State Director for Michigan James J. Turner today commemorated the award of $8.6 million in grants through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Broadband Initiative Program to TDS Telecommunications Corp. at a ceremonial groundbreaking in Chatham.
The historic mission of USDA Rural Development has been to bring critical infrastructure to rural areas, said Turner. This will facilitate better communications and allow rural residents and business access to an increasingly integrated and digitally-connected world.
The project aims to connect rural residents in remote areas to broadband internet. More than 900 individuals and businesses located primarily in Alger County are in the service area.
USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages more than 40 housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a network of 6,100 employees located in Washington, D.C, and 500 state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $134 billion in loans and loan guarantees.
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