Three USDA Rural Broadband Programs: Areas and Populations Served

This study investigates the areas and populations served by three USDA rural broadband programs—the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), the Community Connect grant program, and the ReConnect program. BIP was the largest of these programs (through fiscal year 2021) in terms of net obligations and population in areas served (more than 1.3 percent of the U.S. population). However, BIP projects had the smallest value of obligations per person ($875 in 2020 dollars) and per square mile of approved project service areas ($26,000 in 2020 dollars). The populations served by all three programs tended to be more rural, less educated, poorer, and older than those in areas not served (for BIP) or ineligible (for Community Connect and ReConnect). All programs reached a larger share of the American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) and White populations than other races and a larger share of the non-Hispanic than Hispanic population. A larger share of the AIAN population was served by Community Connect and ReConnect because a larger share of the AIAN population was eligible. However, a smaller share of the eligible AIAN population lived in approved ReConnect project service areas than most other racial groups because a smaller share of eligible AIANs lived in areas that applied to ReConnect.