Broadband Associations Share ReConnect Wish List for Farm Bill Anticipated by September 2023

If provider associations are successful in their advocacy, the next Farm Bill will end the need for ReConnect broadband funding to be reappropriated every year. The ReConnect program covers some of the costs of deploying broadband to unserved areas. Farm bills are an every-five-year occurrence and the current bill is due to expire later in 2023. Fortunately, the farm bill typically has bipartisan support and usually passes both chambers, noted NTCA (The Rural Broadband Association) Director of Government Affairs Virdina Gibbs, although she cautioned that some members could hold up the process. Advocates have been encouraging those involved in crafting the next farm bill to prioritize fiber deployments, rather than focusing on minimum speed requirements, which continually change.