Special Authority to Enable Funding of Broadband and Smart Utility Facilities Across Select Rural Development Programs (Smart Utility)

The Rural Utilities Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Housing Service, agencies that comprise the Rural Development Mission Area within the United States Department of Agriculture, are issuing a final rule to establish the authority authorized by Section 6210 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which will assist rural families and small businesses in gaining access to broadband service by permitting recipients of a loan, grant, or loan guarantee from RD to use up to 10 percent of the amount provided to construct broadband infrastructure in areas not served by minimum acceptable level of broadband service. The collection of information described in this package is necessary for the identified RD programs that have established their respective programs requirements, to determine an applicant’s ability to borrow under the terms of Sec. 6210 of the 2018 Farm Bill and comply with statutory, regulatory, and administrative eligibility requirements for loan assistance. Applicants for RD programs that wish to will apply under the appropriate program regulation and follow the application requirements of that specific regulation. As part of that submission, applicants are required to provide a service area map, where applicable, of their entire service territory.

The latest form for Special Authority to Enable Funding of Broadband and Smart Utility Facilities Across Select Rural Development Programs (Smart Utility) expires 2026-06-30 and can be found here.