; and (ii) in the case of a grant or direct loan, a city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants. (B) Urban area growth The Secretary may, by regulation only, consider an area described in section 343(a)(13)(F)(i)(I) of such Act to not be a rural area for purposes of this section. (C) Exclusion of certain populations The term does not include any population described in subparagraph (H) or (I) of section 343(a)(13) of such Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13) ). (c) Grants, loans, and loan guarantees (1) In general The Secretary shall make grants, shall make loans, and shall guarantee loans to eligible entities described in subsection (d) to provide funds for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment for the provision of broadband service in rural areas that, at a minimum, delivers 100 Mbps (or such greater rate as the Secretary may establish) symmetrical throughput for each rural household in the proposed service area. (2) Applications The Secretary shall establish an application process for grants under this section that— (A) permits a single application for a grant and a loan under title I, II, or this title that is associated with the grant; (B) provides a single decision to award such a grant and loan; and (C) ensures timely consideration of applications by approving or denying applications within 30 days after submission. (3) Priority (A) In general In making grants, making loans, and guaranteeing loans under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— (i) give the highest priority to applications for projects to provide broadband service to unserved rural communities that do not have any residential broadband service of at least— (I) a 25-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and (II) a 3-Mbps upstream transmission capacity; (ii) give priority to applications for projects to provide the maximum level of broadband service to the greatest proportion of rural households in the proposed service area identified in the application