$4.1M grant to Sycamore company to provide broadband

Three area villages are to get an increase in broadband Internet services thanks to a $4.1 million grant to Sycamore Telephone Co. from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday the USDA is investing $1.2 billion in 126 broadband infrastructure projects in 38 states and Native American tribal areas through funding made available through the American Recovery and Stimulus Act.

The program is to grant $14.5 million to five Ohio companies and improved service to more than 20,000 homes.

Sycamore Telephone Co. in Sycamore received $4,149,455 to build a fiber-to-the-home system within the villages of Sycamore, Melmore and McCutchenville.

More than 4,200 people, about 450 businesses and 14 community institutions could benefit from the improved service.

In addition, the project is to create jobs upfront and is to help drive economic development in the community that may create jobs in the future.

During a teleconference Wednesday, Vilsack said the program is to provide rural residents with the technology necessary to attract new businesses, jobs, health care and educational opportunities. Vilsack added the program can also provide improvements in safety services for these areas.

U.S. Rep. Zack Space (D-Dover) also spoke about the project.

“(Broadband) is in our time what electricity was in the 1920s and 1930s and the highway system in the 1950s and 1960s,” Space said. “The gaps that exists in technology in the health and safety field will widen without this technology.

Fact Box

On the web:

Sycamore Telephone Company

www.sycamoretelephone.net

U.S. Department of Agriculture

www.usda.gov

The USDA has done other projects like this relating to electricity, soil and water conservation and other programs which benefit residents of rural areas.