Harmony Telephone Company Receives $5.4 Million For Rural High-Speed Broadband

The United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Cenksy annouced that Harmony Telephone Company as a recipient of a Reconnect Program award totaling $5.4 million.

“When Americans are connected to high-speed internet, productivity and prosperity skyrocket,” Censky said. “This task of providing rural Americans with broadband is of the highest importance for President Trump and his Administration. We cannot leave millions of Americans out of the successes of this booming economy simply because they do not have access to the internet.”

Harmony Telephone Company will use a $2.7 million ReConnect Program loan and a $2.7 million ReConnect Program grat to construct a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 577 households, a health care center, and a community facility spread over 143 square miles in several counties across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.

“The award will help us build out our fiber infrastructure to rural areas, which will create endless life-changing opportunities for our subscribers,” said Harmony Telephone Company COO Jill Huffman.

Huffman stated a few examples of capabilities broadband brings for farmers, small business owners and rural residents in general. Huffman also explained that being able to build out fiber infrastructure to rural areas creates opportunities that had been only available to city subscribers.

“It can provide added security with real-time video monitoring of property and evaluate equipment performance off-site for farmers,” Huffman explained.

With more at-home businesses, Huffman spoke of broadband being able to level the playing field with its competitors, and allowing telecommuting opportunities for rural residents and children to connect at similar internet speeds as their city classmates.

“Providing broadband service to rural areas is challenging and that is what makes being a recipient of the ReConnect Program award so exciting to our team at Harmony Telephone,” Huffman said.

Huffman explained that with all the technology advances broadband brings, what their customers really need is a trusted technology partner and that providing fiber to the premises, is just the beginning.

“Whether our subscribers are using our service for their farm operation, small business or home, they can count on our seasoned and dedicated team at Harmony Telephone to serve them with better broadband and assist them with any broadband-related technology needs,” Huffman said.