TDS™ submits applications for broadband stimulus funding
After months of anticipation and weeks of hard work and application preparation, TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS™) submitted 13 applications for broadband funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today, the company applied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for funding to expand broadband services to thousands of unserved, rural customers in nine states.
“TDS is optimistic our success record with the Rural Utility Service (the USDA department administering the funds) and our demonstrated abilities to deploy broadband quickly will help us secure the funding,” says Andrew Petersen, director of external affairs and communications for TDS Telecommunications Corp.
“Certainly TDS is experienced at providing rural areas with broadband. In fact, over 93 percent of our markets nationwide have high-speed Internet service available today,” says Petersen. “Funds from the federal broadband stimulus program will help us reach the most remote portions of the markets we serve that do not have broadband availability yet.”
When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed Congress and was subsequently signed into law by President Obama, the broadband funding availability guidelines defined an unserved “remote” area as a community located 50 miles from a populated area of 20,000 or more. TDS applied for every one of its service areas that meet this definition and qualified for 100% grant funding.
"TDS applied for every market qualifying as a remote area under the stimulus legislation; in the future, if the guidelines are adjusted, more markets could qualify for stimulus funding. We feel our applications today represent a solid first start; we’ve learned a lot from this application process,” added Petersen.
TDS extends its appreciation to customers who shared their need for broadband via a response to requests from the Company as well as to elected officials and other state and community leaders who submitted information to help us complete the strongest application possible.
“Applications representing these areas were truly created as a community effort. We are very thankful for everyone’s help,” concludes Petersen. “Now, let’s keep our fingers crossed for a positive response from our government in Washington, DC. Further, let’s encourage our federal representatives in Washington to make some modifications to the broadband stimulus application guidelines in round-two, so more customers living in rural, unserved areas get access to broadband services.”
