Broadband Infrastructure

Farmer Mac provides debt capital and liquidity to financial institutions that arrange multi-lender, syndicated loan transactions for infrastructure investors, developers, and providers.

We purchase qualified loans through a network of cooperative lenders, consistent with our charter.

Our role is to provide secondary market liquidity that enables these institutions to continue lending to broadband infrastructure providers.

Farmer Mac supports financial institutions by providing liquidity, capital, and balance sheet flexibility through the secondary market.

Our solutions can help:

• Provide reliable access to long-term debt capital
• Alleviate concentration limits and liquidity constraints
• Complement government programs by enabling matching funds and additional capital

By purchasing, funding, or guaranteeing loans, we enable financial institutions to expand lending capacity and support more broadband infrastructure projects.

Farmer Mac finances a broad range of broadband and communications infrastructure projects in rural areas.

Supported project types include:

• Fiber networks (residential and enterprise)
• Wireless systems and tower infrastructure
• Cable systems and middle-mile networks
• Data centers, including hyperscale and colocation facilities

These projects support the construction, expansion, and upgrade of systems that deliver connectivity to communities, businesses, and farms.

Farmer Mac offers flexible financing structures designed to align with project needs and transaction structures arranged by financial institutions.

Available structures include:

• Construction financing
• Revolving credit facilities
• Long-term funded debt solutions

Key features may include:

• Fixed or floating interest rates
• Customized amortization profiles
• Longer-term debt maturities

Use of proceeds may support:

• Capital expenditures (e.g., construction, equipment, network upgrades)
• Operating expenditures
• Acquisitions
• Recapitalizations

All financing is provided through the secondary market in support of lender-originated transactions.

Farmer Mac helps meet long-term capital needs by providing consistent access to debt capital for capital-intensive, long-horizon broadband investments.

Our financing:

• Supports projects that require significant upfront investment and ongoing upgrades
• Provides stability across market cycles through reliable access to funding
• Helps enable scaling across geographies and project phases, from construction through long-term operation

This access to capital supports the development and maintenance of infrastructure that requires sustained investment over time.

Farmer Mac is a secondary market provider that partners with, rather than competes against, financial institutions.

Key distinctions include:

• We do not originate loans directly
• We purchase or fund fully structured transactions from lenders
• We focus on providing liquidity and capital efficiency to financial institutions

As a government-sponsored enterprise, we also provide consistent access to capital across market cycles, supporting long-term financing for rural infrastructure.

Farmer Mac helps expand broadband access in rural America by enabling financing for critical infrastructure projects through the secondary market.

By providing liquidity to financial institutions, we support:

• Deployment and expansion of broadband networks
• Upgrades to existing systems
• Investment in infrastructure that enables connectivity across communities

These efforts help address gaps in access to reliable, high-speed internet and support economic activity, education, healthcare, and agriculture in rural areas.

Yes—Farmer Mac can finance data centers as part of eligible broadband and middle-mile infrastructure projects in rural areas.

Data centers:

• Are included within eligible broadband infrastructure under the Rural Electrification Act framework
• May be supported as part of broader communications and connectivity systems
• Are often integrated with projects that expand network capacity and data infrastructure

All projects must meet applicable eligibility and credit criteria under our charter and underwriting framework.