Last week, the USDA released a major reported focused on the case for rural broadband across the U.S.  Wall street journal publisher William Lewis called the report a fantastic piece of work.  Lewis recently interviews Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue.  The report says that if broadband is available to every person in every rural area the estimated boost to the American every year economy could be, “from the low of a 45 billion increase to a 65 billion dollar increase to the economy,” Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said.

 

He noted in agriculture alone nationwide broad band would allow more farmers to adopt new precision agricultural technologies that would greatly expand production and incomes.

 

“So we have to get it in front of our administration and in front of every member of congress to make a determination,” the Ag Secretary said.  “When we talk about infrastructure, this has to be one of the top infrastructure needs of America.”

 

Perdue also noted it will take a lot of money to meet those needs.

 

 

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