Our View: Maintain momentum for rural broadband

[Commentary] Like the running of electricity and phone lines to farms a century or more ago, connecting rural America to broadband and to reliable high-speed internet has become as basic and as necessary an undertaking as building passable highways and continuing to find clean water sources. Encouragingly in Minnesota, the push continues to push broadband deeper into our forests and farm.

Northland lawmakers recently announced a bill calling for another $100 million in spending for rural broadband projects statewide. Gov Mark Dayton (D-MN), in his state budget proposed $60 million over two years for rural broadband. Minnesotans deserve online access whether they live in urban or rural areas. However, while 97 percent of Twin Cities-urban Anoka County has high-speed internet access, only 44 percent of northern-rural Cook County does, as Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) pointed out. It's a disparity Minnesota lawmakers are chipping away at — and can continue to this session.