USDA Grant & Loan Awarded For High Speed Internet Work in Shannon, Crawford & Franklin Counties

(Shannon County/Crawford County) The United States Department of Agriculture awarded a couple of grants and loan to bring high speed and affordable internet access to socially vulnerable communities in parts of southeast Missouri.

Mountain View Rural Fiber has been awarded a grant of nearly 25-million dollars to be used to deploy a fiber network that will benefit over 5,500 people, 298 businesses, 46 farms and 29 educational facilities in Shannon County and two other southern Missouri counties.

Aptitude Internet was awarded a loan of over 42-million dollars to do the same thing for parts of Crawford, Franklin and four other Missouri counties.

Once complete, this new network will benefit 18,982 people, 480 businesses, 1,452 farms and 15 educational facilities.