For quite some time the issue concerning the lack of reliable high-speed internet in rural areas has been discussed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has already invested dollars to provide broadband service in some rural areas, but there are still many that have no access. Rep. David Scott (GA-13), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, recently talked about his concerns with the lack of reliable high-speed internet in rural areas.
A rural broadband bill moved this week on Capitol Hill. The House Ag Committee unanimously sent to the full House the $50 billion rural broadband infrastructure bill. The “Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act” would authorize eight years of funding for broadband infrastructure, mapping, technical help, distance learning and telemedicine, revamp the Broadband Reconnect Program, and join other broadband efforts, including over $900 million in the FY ’22 USDA spending bill.