USDA accepting applications for grants to provide rural broadband service

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for grant funding to provide broadband services in unserved rural areas.

The program provides funding to applicants in areas where broadband service is less than 10 MBPS downstream and less than 1 MBPS upstream.

Recipients must provide speeds of at least 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream.

Applications will be accepted until Dec. 23 at 8:59 p.m.

The grants are available to incorporated organizations, federally-recognized tribes, state and local governments, cooperatives and private companies as well as nonprofits.