ReConnect Funding to Connect 11,163 Rural Households to High-Speed Internet e-Connectivity (USDA/RD) — The Trump Administration announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $37 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Alabama. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program. “Access to …
Secretary Perdue on the American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report: “Last year, I presented the findings of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to President Trump at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention. The report showed how broadband e-connectivity is essential for achieving rural prosperity in the 21st Century, and it has guided work …
Farm Bureau: USDA Broadband Program Will Boost Rural Economy
The following statement regarding the Agriculture Department’s ReConnect broadband program can be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “The Agriculture Department’s latest effort to boost broadband services in rural America could not come at a better time. Rural broadband is essential to modern agriculture, the farmers and ranchers who grow our food and to the quality of …
Fixed 5G Wireless Not Likely to Bridge Urban-Rural Divide
Fixed 5G wireless is an unlikely candidate to solve rural America’s broadband challenges, according to a new report by CoBank. Rural telecommunication providers have identified 5G fixed wireless as a potential option. However, the report says high costs, competition, spectrum propagation and ecosystem headwinds stand in the way. Verizon is implementing 5G in urban markets, but a CoBank spokesperson says …
Webpage Highlighting Resources to Bridge the Broadband e-Connectivity Infrastructure Gap
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue unveiled a new webpage featuring information about the importance of rural e-Connectivity and the ways the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing to help deploy high-speed broadband infrastructure in rural America. “Rural high-speed broadband e-Connectivity is as important for economic development as rail, roads, bridges and airports – and as vital as the buildouts of …
USDA Invites Comments on the Implementation of the e-Connectivity Pilot Program
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced USDA is inviting comments on the implementation of the e-Connectivity Pilot Program established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 on March 23, 2018. USDA is developing this pilot program to catalyze private investment and bring broadband to unserved rural areas of the country. The new program provides a unique opportunity to develop …
Senators Urge FCC To Ensure Affordable Rural Broadband Access
A bipartisan group of senators is urging the FCC to ensure access to affordable broadband in rural communities. Led by Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, the group penned a letter the Federal Communications Commission Wednesday asking the FCC to “ensure its commitment to affordable and reliable broadband for consumers in the hardest to reach communities across rural America.” The senators …
Microsoft Investing in Rural Tech Jobs, Broadband Projects
Microsoft announced last week it will team up with communities in six states to invest in technology jobs and broadband in rural areas. The Microsoft initiative TechSpark is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment to help teach computer science to students, expand rural broadband and help create and fill jobs, according to AgriMarketing. The communities involved are in North Dakota, Texas, Virginia, …