Morning Ag Clips logo
  • Subscribe ❯
  • PORTAL ❯
  • LOGIN ❯
  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe to our
    daily email
    ❯
  • Portal Registration❯
  • Login❯
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Morning Ag Clips

  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
Home » If not now, when?
rural life
BLOG ...

If not now, when?

It is time for Congress to help expand broadband access in rural America

PUBLISHED ON May 25, 2020

The Rural & Agriculture Council of America is a consortium of mayors, county commissioners, ranchers, farmers, producers, main street business owners, and leaders in rural America.

BILLINGS, Mt. — As the country continues to confront the numerous challenges associated with the spread of COVID-19, we must acknowledge  some of the persistent inequities imposing additional hardships on rural communities; the lack of access to high-speed, reliable internet access is chief among them. Expanding connectivity among agricultural producers, small businesses owners, and individuals in unserved and underserved areas has always been an important issue. Considering the current public health and economic crisis, broadband expansion initiatives must be examined with a renewed sense of urgency by Congress, in partnership with local, state, and other federal officials.

The more prolonged the COVID-19 crisis, the more all Americans have come to realize how important digital tools are to modern life. In this time of physical distancing and extended business closures, several routine activities have shifted to online platforms to minimize risk and comply with new statewide public health and safety precautions. Rural communities should be able to use social media to keep in touch with friends and loved ones – especially over video. Rural Americans need connectivity that can also reliably support distance learning tools for students of all ages, increased work from home demands, and the desire for digital entertainment and leisure activities.

Unlike workers in some industries, agricultural producers cannot sit on their products until their supply chains begin to normalize. Simply put, dairy spoils and fruits and vegetables rot whether they make it to market or not. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneurial ranchers in some communities were already conducting livestock sales online. Unfortunately, the opportunity to conduct e-commerce and benefit from those sales during this time is not available to everyone. Closing the digital divide is not just about weathering the current crisis, it’s about investing in rural America so that these communities can emerge more resilient and prosperous.

We are encouraged by recent actions taken by Members of the House and State Commerce Committees to bring attention to the importance of expanding access to high-speed broadband. Increasingly, there is bipartisan consensus that investing in broadband will be fundamental to getting our country back on the road to economic recovery and creating new opportunities for economic renewal in today’s unserved and underserved communities. Some data suggests that younger generations and early to mid-career professionals are increasingly interested in life outside of urban centers. Reliable internet access will be essential to retaining today’s top talent and attracting future innovators to rural America.

The COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented, and now is not the time to shy away from bold and transformative action. Congress must prioritize investing in broadband because strengthening our national digital infrastructure will generate positive, second-order effects with respect to improved access to health, educational, and professional opportunities for the residents of today and future generations.

Despite widespread concern that rural Americans are getting left behind in digital economy, it is not too late. Congress must meet this momentum and deliver the kind of quality connectivity that all Americans deserve to improve their quality of life and reach their fullest potential.

— Michelle Erickson-Jones, Telecommunications Committee, Rural & Agriculture Council of America (RACA)

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

rural broadband
Broadband struggles continue in rural Wisconsin
August 11, 2022

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — Ten years ago Richard and Marilyn Rolfsmeyer were excited at the prospect of being linked to the real world via a high-speed internet connection. Like many people living in the mostly rural Driftless Area that comprises southwest Wisconsin, the couple got by with relatively slow internet speeds. Scrolling the internet often […]

Is your state ready to handle the influx of federal funds for expanding broadband?
December 05, 2021

WASHINGTON — The federal government is pouring billions of dollars into expanding broadband internet access. But it’s at the state level where the financial rubber meets the fiber-optic road. History suggests some states are ahead of the game while others will have to play catch-up. The recently signed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes significant […]

Infrastructure law: High-speed internet is as essential as water and electricity
November 18, 2021

WASHINGTON — The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, 2021, was hailed by the White House and advocates as a historic investment to improve internet access in America. As a researcher who studies internet policy and digital inequality, I believe the infrastructure plan should be celebrated as a historic moment for […]

Ag organizations react to passage of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
November 07, 2021

WASHINGTON — The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, November 5. Find out how industry organizations are reacting to the legislation, below. For Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s statement on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, please click here. American Farm Bureau Federation Infrastructure Plan to Spur Growth […]

Spread the word

Browse More Clips

Increased consumer education leads to higher acceptance of gene-edited products

New alternatives for county fair auctions

Primary Sidebar

MORE

NATIONAL CLIPS

National FFA Organization selected to participate in the Advancing Racial Equity Community of Practice initiative
January 27, 2023
Six reasons to bring millets to the market!
January 27, 2023
Statement from Agriculture Secretary on departure of Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh
January 26, 2023
76th Annual Rangelands Meeting
January 26, 2023
99 Counties - Farming for Good Health!
January 26, 2023
  • Trending
  • Latest

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Kentucky Ag Development Board approves projects
January 26, 2023
Ceres Solutions
Ceres Solutions disbursements strengthen rural communities
January 25, 2023
Mental Health Day at Georgia Capitol to highlight rural mental health
January 25, 2023
Tax ditch breakfast educates, recognizes officer
January 25, 2023
Farmers, ranchers sought for study about how they balance children and work
January 25, 2023

Footer

MORNING AG CLIPS

  • Contact Us
  • Sponsors
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service

CONNECT WITH US

  • Like Us on Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

TRACK YOUR TRADE

  • Markets & Economy
  • Cattle Updates
  • Dairy News
  • Policy & Politics
  • Corn Alerts

QUICK LINKS

  • Account
  • Portal Membership
  • Just Me, Kate
  • Farmhouse Communication

Get the MAC App Today!

Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store

© 2023 Morning Ag Clips, LLC. All Rights Reserved.