MTA, Alaska’s best choice for technology and communications products, has been awarded a $1.9 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of its ReConnect Program, which focuses on building broadband infrastructure in rural America.
MTA will use its ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, connecting 463 people to high-speed broadband in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, passing 220 lots and connecting 65 structures.
The grant is included in $11.3 million in new investments that the USDA is making to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Alaska, and is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program.
“We are proud to accept this grant from the USDA that will help us further one of our key missions at MTA – connecting as many Alaskans as possible to high-speed broadband,” MTA CEO Michael Burke said. “With the ReConnect Program, the USDA clearly recognizes that connection via technology is absolutely vital, especially during times like these, and we’re going to work with every partner we can to continue planting the seeds that will help Alaska residents and businesses grow.”
“Broadband is a cornerstone to prosperity in Alaska’s rural communities because it is essential to economic development, as well as access to health care, educational opportunities and connections to people and services,” USDA Alaska State Director for Rural Development Jerry Ward said.
For more information about the ReConnect Program, please visit www.usda.gov/reconnect.