What's New

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 –

RUS has posted a Public Notice Filing of the existing and proposed service areas of a Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program (Broadband Loan Program) applicant. The Public Notice Filing can be viewed by clicking here. This filing provides Incumbent service providers with an opportunity to identify any overlap between the applicant’s service areas and the Incumbent’s existing service areas. Existing service providers are not required to provide a response to any Public Notice Filing, but must do so in order for their existing services to be considered when determining the eligibility of the proposed funded service areas identified in the associated application. This Public Notice Filing provides information on the following applicant:

Socket Telecom, seeking funding from RUS to serve residents and businesses in central Missouri

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Farm Bill Broadband Program

This program is designed to provide loans for funding, on a technology neutral basis, for the costs of construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment to provide broadband service to eligible rural communities.

Farm Bill Broadband Loan Program Brochure

The Rules

How to Apply

Our guide and attachment page includes the application guide along with a list of important attachments. Guide and Attachments

Applicants seeking funding from the Broadband Loan Program can complete an Environmental Questionnaire as part of the Environmental Report that is included in the Broadband Program Application Guide. The Questionnaire is a supplement to the Report and helps identify items that need to be completed and also provides that status of these items to RUS. The Questionnaire should be submitted as part of Schedule Q along with the Environmental Report.

Creating a Service Area Map

The Mapping Tool is now available for Broadband Program applicants to create maps of their Service Areas. Applicants can create maps of their existing and proposed Service Areas by clicking here.

Notification that an application has been submitted

Those interested in receiving email notifications whenever a new Loan has been submitted and the Public Notice Filing has been published can do so by signing up for our subscription service by clicking here.

Ineligible

To locate borrowers under USDA Programs related to the Farm Bill and Recovery Act Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) click here.

Construction Procedures

To locate the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Advance and Construction Procedures Guide (Non-ARRA) (PDF), please click RUS Bulletin 1738-2