{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-bennet-announce-27-million-reconnect-grant-to-expand-broadband-in-dove-creek", "Gardner, Bennet Announce $2.7 Million ReConnect Grant to Expand Broadband in Dove Creek", "2019-11-25", "2019", "2019-11", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Cory Gardner", "G000562", "www.gardner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. Colorado U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R) and Michael Bennet (D) announced today that Emery Telecom will receive $2.7 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ReConnect Loan and Grant Program.With new USDA funding, Emery Telecom will provide nearly500 fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) connections to homes, farms and ranches,smallbusinesses, educational facilities, andcommunity anchor institutionsinand aroundDove Creek, Colorado. \r\nIncreasing broadband access is critical to continuing economic development in Colorado's rural communities and ensuring all four corners of Colorado are connected to the world,said Senator Gardner.These investments will provide necessary resources to continue deploying broadband in unserved and underserved areas in Colorado, helping to bridge the urban-rural divide.\r\nFor residents in Dove Creek or anywhere in Colorado, high-speed broadband is not a luxury in the modern economy  it is a necessity,said Senator Bennet. That's why I've fought to secure USDA funding to expand broadband in our rural communities through my position on the Senate Agriculture Committee, and I am glad to see these investments finally coming to the Western Slope. \r\nIn Dove Creek, residents and businesses generally lack access to broadband speeds above 10/1 Mbps, and most critical institutions and businesses lack access to broadband entirely. The regional economy relies heavily onagriculture,energy production,mining, and tourism,which have become increasingly reliant on broadband to stay competitive and reach distant markets.\r\nUSDA's ReConnect Loan and Grant Programis apilot programlaunched in 2018 to expand broadband service toprimarilyunservedrural areas, defined as those with access to internet speeds lower than 10/1 Mbps. Nonprofits, private companies, cooperatives,tribes, and stateand local governments are eligible for ReConnect grants and loans.\r\n###\r\nCory Gardner is a member of the U.S. Senate serving Colorado. He sits on the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.gardner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/gardner-bennet-announce-27-million-reconnect-grant-to-expand-broadband-in-dove-creek"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7384871132671833, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}