Chairwoman Rosenworcel Announces Rechartering of Precision Agriculture Task Force

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the FCC's intent to recharter the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force for its third and final term, calling on the four working groups to examine the impact of connectivity in meeting the production and sustainability challenges facing agricultural and food systems. In addition, Chairwoman Rosenworcel called for representatives from diverse and historically underrepresented communities, including socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, to apply for membership to the Task Force and its working groups. The Task Force, established under the 2018 Farm Bill to provide advice to the FCC, in consultation with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), on how to deploy broadband service on unserved agricultural land to promote precision agriculture, is set to conclude its work in January 2025. The Task Force was established under the 2018 Farm Bill to provide advice to the FCC, in consultation with the USDA, on how to deploy broadband service on unserved agricultural land to promote precision agriculture. The four Task Force working groups are focused on the following activities:

• Mapping and Analyzing Connectivity on Agricultural Lands;
• Examining Current and Future Connectivity Demand for Precision Agriculture;
• Encouraging Adoption of Precision Agriculture and Availability of High-Quality Jobs on Connected Farms; and
• Accelerating Broadband Deployment on Unserved Agricultural Lands.

Nominations for membership to the Task Force or its working groups should be submitted to the FCC no later than September 20, 2023.