Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hundreds of Lowndes County residents will soon have access to high-speed Internet.

The USDA is investing some $24.7 million to fund the projects, said Novory Gordon, state director of the USDA’s Rural Development Alabama office.

“Communities across rural Alabama are need access to high-speed internet in order to participate in the modern digital landscape,” Gordon said. “Whether it is for learning, conducting business, connecting with loved ones, or providing services which are not available locally, the lack of high-speed internet access has a direct impact on the quality of life for our rural families. That’s why we here at USDA are working with high-speed internet providers to continue to connect rural Alabama to the world.”

Hayneville Telephone Co. will use a grant of $24,781,800 to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 4,646 people, 154 farms, 96 businesses and three public schools to high-speed internet in Lowndes County.

The company is making the service affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs. The grant comes from the third funding round of the ReConnect Program.