DAHLGREN — The USDA announced Friday that $3.4 million will be granted to Hamilton County Telephone Co-Op to expand high speed broadband internet to over 600 rural homes, farms, and businesses in Hamilton and surrounding counties.

The USDA’s Illinois State Director Douglas Wilson made the announcement at the co-op’s main offices in Dahlgren Friday. He says expanding broadband internet access to every household is the next technological revolution for rural areas, and the co-op is again leading the way to provide a higher quality of life for Hamilton County residents.

This announcement, along with the grant money awarded to Wabash Communications Co-Op for areas of Wayne and Jefferson County in December, comes as a part of round one of grant money to be awarded in broadband internet expansion. A second round has already been announced, and Wilson says that will help continue to expand this ongoing technological revolution.

The full map of areas that will receive broadband internet access through this grant is below: