News

The Biden administration is allocating billion for high-speed internet infrastructure, with billion of the funding coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021. The focus of this investment is on expanding rural broadband to support education, rural healthcare, and precision agriculture.

The program requires that internet services provided in rural areas have a minimum download speed of 100 Mbps. This funding announcement follows a report by the USDA on Farm Technology use, which revealed that 85% of farmers across the country have access to the internet. The report also stated that 32% of farmers are using the internet to buy inputs for their farms, a 3% increase from last year’s survey.

Of the farmers surveyed, 51% use the internet through a broadband connection, while 75% of internet-connected farms have access to a cellular plan. The survey also found that 27% of farmers are using precision agriculture practices to manage their crops or livestock, a 2% increase from 2021. The states with the highest use of precision tools are North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Illinois.

Despite the increased access to technology in rural areas, only 13% of farmers surveyed use the internet to access USDA crop reports, and 20% use it to access other USDA services, a 2% decline from last year. States with the lowest internet access on farms include Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia.

The funding projects will have a significant impact on rural communities. For example, in Nobles County, Minnesota, high-speed internet will be provided to 679 farms, enabling farmers in the area to engage in precision agriculture and make their work more sustainable.

In addition to the funding allocation, legislators have proposed important changes to make it easier for smaller providers to apply for the ReConnect program and reduce bureaucratic obstacles for rural communities. The Connecting Our Neighbors to Networks and Ensuring Competitive Telecommunications (CONNECT) Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Ted Budd, aims to streamline the application process and establish an office for technical assistance.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has also announced that there is still 0 million available from the infrastructure law for investment in the ReConnect program in the coming months.

This significant investment in high-speed internet infrastructure will greatly benefit rural communities, providing them with increased access to vital services and opportunities for agricultural innovation.

The post The Biden Administration Allocates Billion for High-Speed Internet Infrastructure appeared first on satProviders.