(NAFB.com) – The USDA announced the availability of $20 million to deliver broadband technical assistance resources for rural communities and to support the development and expansion of broadband co-ops. The agency is offering the funding under the new Broadband Technical Assistance Program. The program supports technical assistance projects such as feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications. Applicants can choose from one of three funding pools. “USDA is committed to making sure that people, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet,” says USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small. “That’s how you grow the economy not just in rural communities but across the nation.” The undersecretary also says the agency is partnering with small towns, local utilities, cooperatives, and private companies to increase access to a critical service. “The service builds brighter futures by creating more opportunities across rural America,” she says.