Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering up to $600 million in loans and grants to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. Telecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and utilities, internet service providers and municipalities may apply for funding through USDA’s new ReConnect Program to connect rural areas that currently have insufficient …
USDA Partners with Communities to Bring High-Speed Broadband e-Connectivity Infrastructure to Rural Areas
More than 27,000 Businesses and Residents to Get Improved e-Connectivity Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced that USDA is investing in infrastructure projects in a dozen states (.pdf) to improve e-Connectivity in rural communities. “In the modern economy, rural broadband is a lifeline to quality of life and economic opportunity,” Hazlett said. “With that impact, USDA is fiercely …
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 …
USDA Grants to Expand Rural Broadband in Alabama
USDA has made a grant to an electric coop in rural Alabama, to connect nearly 500 households in the area to high-speed broadband. Stephanie Ho has the story. USDA Grants to Expand Rural Broadband in Alabama Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
Ag Groups Applaud Precision Ag Connectivity Act
The American Soybean Association is among agriculture groups applauding the Senate Commerce Committee for pushing the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018 forward in the legislative process. ASA President John Heisdorffer says his group welcomes the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018. “This legislation understands the unique needs of growers across rural America,” Heisdorffer says. “We urge swift passage in …
Agricultural Broadband Bill Important Milestone, Farm Bureau Says
The Senate Commerce Committee approved S. 2343, the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018. The bipartisan bill is an important milestone in delivering broadband service crucial to the operation of modern farming equipment. The bill would create a task force to focus on the connectivity and technology needs of modern farmers who are too often without broadband in the fields …
Coalition Works to Expand Rural Broadband
A coalition of rural and farm groups are seeking to improve rural connectivity to broadband. The first in a series of workshops was held Wednesday at the Department of Agriculture. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai joined executives from the five partner organizations for the discussion. The coalition includes the Farm Foundation, The Rural …
Legislative Session Brings Good News for Farmers, Rural Alabama
Farmers and rural families will benefit from actions during the 2018 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature, which saw bills pass aimed at improving broadband access, irrigation, agricultural education and the clarity of tax laws. Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell thanked legislators for recognizing the importance of agriculture and forestry — the state’s largest industry. “This was one of …
Microsoft Working to End Broadband Gap in Rural America
Microsoft is working to close the broadband gap in rural America. However, a DTN report says the company needs the help of rural residents to accomplish that task. Shelly McKinley, Microsoft general manager of technology and corporate responsibility, spoke recently at the Nebraska Rural Futures Institute. She says high-speed internet is now a necessity of life, while comparing the push …
Broadband Investment and Section 199A Tax Code Fix in Omnibus Applauded by Perdue
Broadband: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the robust investment of $600 million in rural broadband for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which was included in the FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Package. The funding comes at a time when President Donald J. Trump is pursuing an ambitious agenda to rebuild America’s infrastructure, including a special emphasis on rural …