high speed internet

The NCTA, or the Rural Broadband Association, released its 2024 Broadband-Internet Availability Survey Report.  The group says it capped off a year in which NCTA members made remarkable strides in delivering on the promise of robust and reliable high-speed connectivity in the most rural parts of the country.  Despite...

Thanks to a recently announced $19.1 million grant from USDA’s Rural Development, residents of the Colville Reservation will benefit from improved high-speed internet access.  The tribes will use the funding to expand broadband access to 165 residential customers, six businesses, and 20 farms in Okanogan County.  RD said this ...

A rural internet service provider in Oregon’s Clackamas County will get a nearly $3 million federal loan to expand high-speed access.  Clear Creek Communications will use the USDA’s Re-Connect Loan Program to deploy fiber broadband for more than 100 people, three businesses and five farms.  Clear Creek’s Presi...

WSU partners with Washington State Broadband to bridge the digital divide in rural areas, providing education and training opportunities with grant funding.

The Federal Communications Commission released the National Broadband Map in November.  Emily Buckman, American Farm Bureau Federation Government Affairs Director, says the new map displays specific location-level information regarding broadband services availability, which she called a huge improvement from the census block level data that was used.  She add...

Despite fraternal organizations nationwide struggling to gain and retain members, the National Grange says it is bucking that trend.  During the organization’s 156th Annual Convention in Sparks, NV, last month, Betsy Huber, President of the Grange announced membership grew more than 3% between July 2021 and June 2022, despite pressures from the pandemic.   Huber ...

USDA’s Rural Development undersecretary faced numerous complaints from rural U.S. Senators about complicated grant applications, office staffing, and broadband grant duplication at a recent Farm Bill hearing.  Xochitl Torres Small defended her agency’s handling of its many functions, calling most criticisms the result of having to balance costs and fairness.  But she did agree t...

Without a reliable digital connection, American farmers cannot fully embrace the new tools and technologies allowing producers to meet the needs and demands of tomorrow, according to the Association of Equipment Manufactures.  The organization said now is the time for lawmakers, organizations, and other to come together to close the connectivity gap that exists across much of rural America.  Curt

University of Idaho Extension is out with a new program that the school said will prepare Idahoans and communities to take advantage of the digital economy and the opportunities that will be available.   “As all of this effort to expand broadband across the state is happening, how do we make sure that our communities are ready to fully take advantage of that?" said Amb...

In the 1930’s the federal government brought electric power to all of rural America today the mission is to bring high speed Internet access to everybody in rural areas.   “It's one of the many ways we're ensuring that folks no matter where they live have a shot at success by having access to high-speed Internet,” said Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack last week after announcing additional funding