Expanding America’s Rural Broadband Likely A Focus Of Next Federal Farm Bill

Expanding America’s Rural Broadband Likely a Focus of Next Federal Farm Bill

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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the necessity of federal assistance in establishing high-speed internet connectivity across all areas of the United States. Members of a U.S. House subcommittee unanimously agreed on this point during their recent review of provisions expected to be included in the upcoming farm bill.

U.S. Representative Kat Cammack, a Florida Republican, emphasized the plight of students in her largely rural district. She mentioned that some children are forced to complete their homework in Hardee’s parking lots due to the lack of internet access in their homes.

As the pandemic forced students nationwide to rely on virtual learning, the need for broadband access became apparent. Cammack argued that federal funds should prioritize providing internet access to as many Americans as possible rather than simply increasing the speed of existing services.

During a hearing on March 8, several members of the House’s Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit subcommittee raised concerns about the overbuilding of existing infrastructure. They emphasized the importance of reviewing the rural development component of the next farm bill to address this issue. The new farm bill is projected to be approved next year and will replace the current version that was last renewed in 2018 and is set to partially expire.

The farm bill is a comprehensive law with an estimated cost of $428 billion over a five-year span. The majority of the funds (about three-fourths) are allocated to food assistance for low-income individuals, while the rest goes towards crop insurance, commodity support, and land conservation.

Previous iterations of the farm bill included loans for developing internet infrastructure. However, in 2018, lawmakers introduced grants for these projects and increased the minimum speed requirements for determining sufficient access. The previous threshold for download speeds was 4 megabits per second, which was raised to 25.

Xochitl Torres Small, the undersecretary for rural development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, stressed the priority of ensuring broadband access for rural residents. She acknowledged the limitations faced by students who had to rely on inadequate speeds during the pandemic. Torres Small emphasized the need to strike a balance between expanding access and enhancing internet speeds.

In addition to the farm bill’s Rural Broadband Program, lawmakers established the ReConnect Program in 2018 with similar goals. States have also implemented their own programs to address broadband access.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has prioritized expanding rural broadband in his administration. In his State of the State address this year, he proposed allocating $400 million for broadband access. Of this amount, $250 million would be directed towards connecting approximately 75,000 households that currently lack access to moderately fast internet connections.

Missouri Independent, a part of the States Newsroom network, strives to maintain editorial independence and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. For inquiries, please contact Editor Jason Hancock at info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter.

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