USDA Rural Development Celebrates $27 Million Groundbreaking in Lovelock

LOVELOCK, Nev., Nov. 21, 2023—USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad today celebrated the groundbreaking for a $27 million investment made through the USDA ReConnect Program and awarded to Uprise Fiber to increase internet access in the City of Lovelock. Uprise Fiber will utilize the funding to deploy a Fiber-to-the-Home network that would offer economical and dependable internet to Lovelock residents nearly thousands of times faster than their current internet, which can be insufficient for basic activities such as teleconferencing or streaming.

“Today marks a milestone in closing the digital gap in the City of Lovelock, and another step towards ensuring rural Nevadan businesses and families here have affordable and reliable internet access,” said Ingvoldstad. “Through the ReConnect program, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to investing in rural infrastructure and improving economic outcomes in all rural communities, no matter how remote. We’re proud to see the partnerships that have made this achievement possible, from Uprise Fiber’s engagement with the City of Lovelock to Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen’s efforts to secure high-speed internet funding in rural Nevada. USDA Rural Development will continue to lead the joint efforts for rural prosperity in the Silver State.”

This investment will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network connecting 4,884 people, 130 businesses, 22 farms and seven public schools to high-speed internet in Pershing County. Uprise LLC will offer subscribers symmetrical service tiers of 200 megabits per second (Mbps) or one gigabit per second. It plans to apply to participate in the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to enable subscribers to obtain the 200 Mbps symmetrical service for free. This project will serve people in the Lovelock Indian Colony and several socially vulnerable communities in Pershing County.

The ReConnect Program was created to fund the most difficult high-speed internet projects in the nation. The program provides loans and grants to build, improve, or acquire facilities and equipment needed to bring high-speed internet service to the most rural, remote, and undeserved communities in America. Loans and grants provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. Visit the program page for more information: ReConnect Loan and Grant Program | USDA

To learn more about investment resources for rural Nevada, visit www.rd.usda.gov/nv or contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

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