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Rural Health Information Hub

Community Connect Broadband Grant Program

This funding record is inactive. Please see the program website or contact the program sponsor to determine if this program is currently accepting applications or will open again in the future.

 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.863
Sponsors
U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development, USDA Rural Utilities Service
Deadlines
Feb 20, 2024
Purpose

The Community Connect Grant Program supports broadband deployment into rural communities where it is not yet economically viable for private sector providers to deliver service. Broadband service should benefit residential and business customers in a service area, as well as critical community facilities, such as healthcare, public schools, fire stations, and libraries.

Grant funds may be used to help fund:

  • The construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, spectrum, land, or buildings used to deploy broadband service within the proposed service area
  • The improvement, expansion, construction, or acquisition of a community center that provides online access to the public
  • The cost of providing broadband service free of charge to critical community facilities for 2 years
Eligibility

Eligible applicants include:

  • State and local governments
  • Federally recognized tribes
  • Incorporated organizations
  • Other legal entities, including cooperatives, private corporations, or limited liability companies organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis

Rural areas that lack any existing broadband speed of at least 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream are eligible.

Areas currently receiving or that have received final approval for other federal funding to construct terrestrial facilities providing at least 10/1 Mbps service in the project Proposed Funded Service Area as of December 19, 2023 are not eligible to apply.

Geographic coverage
Nationwide and U.S. Territories
Amount of funding

Award ceiling: $5,000,000
Award floor: $100,000
Project period: 3 years
Estimated number of awards: 50
Estimated total program funding: $79,000,000

A non-federal cash match of at least 15% of the total amount of financial assistance requested is required and can be used for operating costs.

Application process

Links to the full announcement and application guide are available through grants.gov.

Changes to this program were made in a notice in the Federal Register on December 19, 2023.

Applicant webinar presentation

Additional guidance and forms can be found on the program website. Applications must be submitted through the Community Connect Grant application portal.

Tagged as
Broadband · Capital funding · Community and economic development

Organizations (3)



For complete information about funding programs, including your application status, please contact funders directly. Summaries are provided for your convenience only. RHIhub does not take part in application processes or monitor application status.