rural broadband

October was National Cooperative Month, giving many across the nation an opportunity to see the intricate part the cooperative model plays in the nation’s economy, particularly in rural America.   “Whether you belong to a credit union, you get electricity in a rural area, or even if you drink milk or eat candy that has sugar from sugarbeets, you’re probably benefiting from a cooperative.”   Under

Rural broadband deployment won’t succeed in closing the “digital divide” unless the agencies handling billions of dollars in funding coordinate better.  That’s the collective sentiment of House Ag members.  Ag Chair David Scott said “effective communication” is the key to 100% rural broadband deployment using the historic Infrastructure and Jobs Act funding.   “And this is why we established proce

Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Joni Ernst of Iowa introduced bipartisan legislation last week to protect and expand access to high-speed internet in rural communities and encourage rural broadband investment. The Access to Capital Creates Economic Strength and Supports Rural America Act would provide regulatory relief to rural telecommunications service providers by allowing them to submi

As American agriculture grapples with scarce labor and increasing costs, one solution could lie in precision agriculture applications that can maximize output while reducing costs. Crop and livestock producers can supercharge operational efficiency with advanced precision technologies such as data analytics, connected equipment, robotics and automation ...

National Farmers Union welcomed last week’s Affordability Connectivity Program announced by the White House. The program seeks to close the U.S. digital divide by making reliable, high-speed internet affordable to many families in rural and urban communities. The ...

The Biden administration official charged with coordinating the implementation of the massive bipartisan infrastructure bill, Mitch Landriue, said besides proving roads, bridges and rural electric grids and such, that bill has resources for another major goal: "Providing high speed internet to every home, every business so that rural community specifically can stay connected to jobs, precisio

President Biden’s infrastructure adviser expects the FCC to make significant progress this year on critical broadband mapping to pinpoint rural areas of greatest need. Mitch Landrieu acknowledged the FCC hit roadblocks early, but is now making headway on service maps needed to best target $65 Billion Congress approved for rural broadband. ...

USDA’s Rural Development Undersecretary Xochitl Torres Small says the agency is extending the application deadline for funding under the ReConnect Program to March 9th. The funds are intended to expand high-speed internet access to millions of people across rural America. ...

According to Washington's FFA Reporter Caitlyn Garvey, a lack of broadband service is the biggest problem facing farmers and those in rural America. If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia... Read More ...

As the Ag community works on improving sustainability and shrinking the industry’s carbon footprint, Betsy Huber says ensuring the latest technology must be part of the conversation. The President of the National Grange said sustainability means both preserving and conserving the soil, the water, the land, as well as the economic stability of U.S. fa ...