USDA to Open Applications for $26 Million Community Connect Program

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2025 – With $26 million on the table, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has called rural innovators to apply for its 2025 Community Connect Grants.

The Community Connect program defines areas eligible for awards as those receiving Internet service below 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) * 1 Mbps. While this threshold ensures funding targets areas with little or no connectivity, it contrasts with definitions used in other USDA initiatives, like the ReConnect Program, in which areas lacking speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload now qualify for funding, significantly expanding eligibility. 

The difference highlights ongoing debates within federal broadband policy over what constitutes "sufficient" internet access. Recent discussions have centered on whether programs under the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service should prioritize areas with speeds between 100 * 20 Mbps and 100 * 100 Mbps, in a push to future-proof rural broadband infrastructure.