About 0.6 percent of the U.S. population lived in areas eligible for ReConnect in 2020, and 21 percent of those eligible lived in areas approved for the program

Map of the United States showing areas that applied for ReConnect projects but were not approved, areas that applied and were accepted, and eligible areas without ReConnect projects.

USDA, Economic Research Service researchers studied the areas and populations served by three USDA rural broadband programs—the Broadband Initiative Program (BIP), Community Connect, and ReConnect. BIP was the largest of these programs during the period studied (fiscal years 2009–21), but ReConnect now is the largest.

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