President Trump Rural Broadband Initiatives: Where’s the Beef?

President Donald Trump’s address about economic issues facing rural America at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention touched on Trump rural broadband initiatives. But although President Trump talked about the importance of broadband to the rural economy and signed two executive orders aimed at facilitating rural broadband deployment, I came away asking ‘where the beef’ was.

Some stakeholders may have been hoping to hear about new funding for broadband. But President Trump did not say anything about that. Although President Trump said that “necessary funds” would be available to rebuild crumbling rural infrastructure including roadways, railways and waterways, he made no reference to funding for broadband. And while the rural task force report also highlights the important role that broadband can play in rural America, report recommendations do not discuss broadband funding other than a suggestion to “assess the efficacy of current programs.”