Loeffler Applauds $12.5 Million Grant to Expand Rural Broadband in Georgia

Will Bring High-Speed Internet to Farms, Businesses, Fire Stations in Heard, Troup, Carroll Counties

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) today announced rural counties in Georgia will receive a $12.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand high-speed broadband internet. 
 
The funding is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Stability (CARES) Act, which Loeffler supported. The grant, which USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced at an event in Bremen, Georgia, will connect 7,348 people, 121 farms, 15 businesses, four fire stations and one elementary school to high-speed broadband internet in Heard, Troup and Carroll counties. 
 
“Over the last three months, we have seen just how important it is to be able to easily and quickly access the internet as work, school, health care and leisure moved online for many of us,” Loeffler said. “This funding will help more Georgians get online, grow their business, learn and connect with loved ones. While I wish I could have joined Secretary Perdue in Georgia for today’s announcement, I’m grateful to USDA for awarding Georgia these crucial resources. I applaud Secretary Perdue and the Trump administration’s commitment to rural America and their work to connect Americans with this critical infrastructure.”
 
Expanding rural broadband is a key priority in Loeffler’s USA Restoring & Igniting the Strength of our Economy (USA RISE) Plan. The plan has four pillars, including Grown in the USA, which focuses on bringing relief to farmers and rural areas.