Feeling Disconnected on the Farm? New Broadband Map Shows You’re Not Alone
July 8, 2021 
Red is bad. This new digital map shows a wide aggregation of data and areas of the U.S. that fall below the FCC’s current benchmark for fixed broadband service of 25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Commerce Department
The American Farm Bureau Federation recently reported that a new digital map from the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) provides more detail about broadband needs across the country than any other publicly available resource. Tapping into data aggregated at the county, census tract, and census block level from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), M-Lab, Ookla, and Microsoft, the map shows (in red) the many parts of the country reporting connection speeds that fall below the FCC’s current benchmark for fixed broadband service of 25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload.
Farmers, ranchers, and others who live in rural communities struggle every day with poor connection speeds, which slow down their work on the business end of the farm, schoolwork, and their ability to download and share important documents.
“A reliable and speedy broadband connection is also critical to farmers’ use of precision agriculture to farm as sustainably and efficiently as possible. Without high-speed internet, farmers cannot collect key data or analyze it to determine the exact amount of fertilizer to apply, how much water their crops need, or the precise amount of herbicides or pesticides they should use,” says Ryan Yates, Managing Director of Public Policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation.
NTIA’s new map can help officials determine where to focus government funding and public-private partnership efforts to enhance broadband.
“There are resources available to boost broadband access in rural America, but it’s limited, making it extremely important to target the areas that need it the most,” Yates adds.
In Florida, coverage in some prime agricultural areas is poor. Those inadequacies were magnified when people were forced to shelter during the height of the COVID pandemic. State Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried has called on the Biden Administration to support and fund programs that would enhance broadband in rural areas of the state.
Legislative Action
Farm Bureau and other organizations are backing two bills introduced this spring that would help with rural broadband funding. The Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility (EBRIDGE) Act (S. 1695, H.R. 3193) seeks to ensure local communities can partner with the private sector in carrying out broadband projects and gives communities more flexibility in complying with their funding match requirements.
The Broadband for Rural America Act (H.R. 3369) would provide more than $7 billion in authorizations for USDA broadband connectivity programs. Following the introduction of the bill in late May, Republican Leader of the Agriculture Committee, Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, issued the following statement:
“The one issue that unites rural members on both sides of the aisle is the need to address the digital divide. This critical infrastructure void has been exacerbated by the challenges faced by rural families and businesses during the pandemic.
“There are many broadband infrastructure plans, but the House GOP package puts a detailed plan on paper. This is also the only proposal that utilizes the expertise of USDA and focuses agencies across the government towards one common goal: connecting all Americans.
“Let’s put aside partisan differences, debate the merits of this legislation, and address this significant infrastructure need.”
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