A group of senators recently sent a bipartisan letter to the Federal Communications Commission supporting rural broadband access. The agency is reforming rules that cover rural broadband. RJ Karney, director of congressional relations at AFBF, explained in Newsline, (July 21, 2016) that the changes are critical for increasing rural broadband access.
 
“This is an opportunity to really highlight with the FCC an issue that’s critical to farmers and ranchers,” Karney said. The FCC’s rulemaking process will address Universal Service Fund reforms, specifically within the Mobility Fund, which is a part of the Connect America Fund.
 
A whopping 87 percent of rural Americans – 52.2 million people – lack access to mobile broadband that meets the advertised speeds of broadband (10 megabytes per second), compared to 45 percent of those living in urban areas.