Funding to increase rural internet access available

Published date05 April 2018
Date05 April 2018
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.30172
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Funding to increase rural
internet access available
Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development
Anne Hazlett recently announced that the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting
applications for grants to fund broadband
infrastructure projects in unserved rural
communities.
“E-connectivity is essential to the economic
vitality and quality of life in rural communities,”
Hazlett said in a statement. “Investing in
broadband can strengthen rural economic growth
and improve critical access to jobs, education, health
care and social services.”
Funding must be used to provide broadband
service at a minimum rate-of-data transmission of
25 megabits downstream and 3 megabits upstream,
USDA said, which is the speed benchmark the
Federal Communications Commission has ofcially
adopted for broadband connectivity. Awardees must
use USDA funding to offer free broadband service
to all critical community facilities in their proposed
service areas for two years and provide a community
center with free broadband service for two years.
Examples of past Community Connect Grants
include:
• Tennessee’s North Central Telephone
Cooperative received a grant to offer gigabyte speed
internet at reasonable rates. Today, the company
provides e-connectivity services such as high-speed
broadband, television, security and cloud systems;
Alaska’s Matanuska Telephone Association
used a Community Connect grant to expand a ber
network. As a result, web-based content has been
developed for an array of local businesses.
Awards from $100,000 to $3 million are available
to for-prot organizations; nonprot organizations;
and state, local and federally recognized Native
American tribal organizations.
The deadline to apply for a grant is May 14, 2018.
A 15 percent match is required on the desired grant
amount.
To learn more, see the grant alert on page 3 or
visit www.grants.gov and search FON# RDRUS-
CC-2018.
Grants alerts
TechGirls Central Asia Program (DOS)
Scope: The State Department’s Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs seeks applications for the FY2018
TechGirls Central Asia Program to support development
in the field of technology and enable young women to
reach their full potential in the technology industry.
Deadline: May 14, 2018.
Funds: $990,000 total for one award. The maximum
project period is three years.
Eligibility: Colleges and universities and nonprofit
organizations.
Areas: DOS said applicants must demonstrate
their capacity for implementing programs of this
nature, focusing on three areas of competency:
experience in providing leadership and technology-
focused programming, experience in providing age-
appropriate programming for youth and demonstrated
understanding of and experience working with
participants from countries in Central Asia.
www.grants.gov; FON# ECA-ECAPEC-18-104
Special Professional Fellows Program for the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (DOS)
Scope: The State Department’s Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs seeks applications for the
FY2018 Special Professional Fellows Program for the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
a two-way global exchange program designed to
promote mutual understanding, enhance leadership
and professional skills and build lasting and
sustainable partnerships between midlevel emerging
leaders from ASEAN countries and the United States.
Deadline: May 16, 2018.
Funds: Approximately two cooperative agreements of
approximately $800,000 each.
Eligibility: Colleges and universities and nonprofit
organizations.
Areas: DOS said the ASEAN Fellows will travel to
the United States for a professional fellowship, which
Vol. 42, No. 9 April 5, 2018
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