HYDE-SMITH, SLOTKIN INTRODUCE BILL TO EXPAND BROADBAND ACCESS IN RURAL AMERICA

Senators Move to Extend USDA Support for Middle Mile Broadband Projects for Another Five Years

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), with U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), today introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that is instrumental in improving access to broadband service in Mississippi and the rest of rural America.

The Middle Mile for Rural America Act proposes a five-year (2026-2031) reauthorization of the middle-mile infrastructure program to help connect rural communities to high-speed internet.

"If we're going to ensure reliable, high-speed broadband service to people in rural areas, we must look at the whole, which includes critical middle-mile projects. This is a small, but significant USDA program that fills a gap to help ensure reliable and affordable service for rural homes and businesses," Senator Hyde-Smith said. "I expect this reauthorization to be approved so that electric cooperatives, like those in Mississippi, can continue their work to expand broadband service."

"High-speed internet isn't a luxury, it's a necessity," Senator Slotkin said. "By strengthening USDA support for targeted broadband projects, this bipartisan bill helps lower costs and bring reliable, high-speed internet to rural Michigan and communities across the country, so people can work, learn, and stay connected."

The 2018 Farm Bill expanded the authority of the USDA Rural Utilities Service to fund loans, loan guarantees, and grants for stand-alone middle-mile broadband projects, which previously could only be supported indirectly as part of last-mile projects.

This change, among other things, prompted 17 Mississippi electric cooperatives to collaborate on improving and expanding middle-mile infrastructure improvements to increase resiliency and reduce the costs of connecting unserved and underserved areas across the state. It has also been used similarly in other states.

National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA), American Farm Bureau Federation, and Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi have endorsed the legislation, which could eventually be incorporated into a broader farm policy bill.

"Middle mile broadband infrastructure is critical to connecting rural America with quality, high-speed internet access. However, access to these networks is not a guarantee, and without a middle mile connection the cost to build last mile infrastructure can increase and the quality and reliability of broadband service in rural areas could be impacted," said Louis Finkel, NRECA Senior Vice President of Government Relations. "We applaud Sens. Hyde-Smith and Slotkin's leadership on the Middle Mile for Rural America Act and their recognition of this important infrastructure for rural connectivity."

U.S. Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Rep. Josh Riley (D-N.Y.) introduced companion legislation (HR.5037) in the House.

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