Warner, Kaine Announce $2.1 Million In USDA Funding For Scott County Telephone Cooperative

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statements supporting today's announcement that the Scott County Telephone Cooperative will receive a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)  Community Connect Grant program.  The funds will establish a broadband network in Edwards Ridge and the surrounding area in Dickenson County.

“Broadband access is vital to support and promote  economic opportunity in our rural communities, and this grant will be used to build-out a broadband network with one gigabyte of bandwidth for 540 locations in Dickenson County,” Sen. Warner said. “Improving connectivity across rural Virginia expands access to telemedicine, educational opportunities in local schools, and creates more opportunities for local entrepreneurs and businesses."

"Today's federal funding will support broadband development and help improve the lives of  families and businesses in Southwest Virginia," Sen. Kaine said. "I've seen firsthand the fantastic work the Scott County Telephone Cooperative does to support the community's digital development and I applaud the USDA for making this critical investment." 

The Community Connect Grant programs are an important part of USDA's broadband efforts. Since 2009, USDA has awarded 74 Community Connect grants totaling more than $77 million to build broadband projects in rural areas that previously did not have broadband service.

###