Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity

Rural prosperity can only truly be achieved by connecting rural America to high-speed internet. It is critical to act quickly as the need for rural e-connectivity is growing every day. We must also ensure rural America won’t be left behind as we move toward nextgeneration networks like 5G, and emerging technologies like the Internet of Things. Prioritizing e-connectivity for rural America is the key to generating prosperity, investment, and innovation.

Objectives & Recommended Actions

1. Establish Executive Leadership to Expand E-connectivity Across Rural America – The Task Force recommends that the Executive Office of the President develop and implement a strategy based on best practices to deploy rural e-connectivity across the nation. The recommended participating offices and agencies include the National Economic Council, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Office of American Innovation, Department of Agriculture, National Telecommunications and Information Administration under the Department of Commerce, the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Education, the Department of Health & Human Services, the Department of the Interior, and other Departments and agencies needed.

2. Assess State of Rural E-connectivity – Coordination by the Executive Office of the President of a multi-sector assessment of the current state of affordable rural high-speed internet access, including identification of infrastructure and service gaps. Such a data-driven analysis of service levels, reliability, and affordability should inform the creation of the rural e-connectivity strategy. An analysis of total capital investment necessary for rural e-connectivity should be conducted, including existing federal and non-federal subsidies.

3. Reduce Regulatory Barriers to Infrastructure Deployment – Revise federal regulations to encourage investment in reliable, high-speed internet in rural areas, expedite approval and internal review timelines and streamline permitting processes to promote increased build-out of infrastructure. The federal government should coordinate any regulatory reform efforts with those being pursued by the Administration’s efforts to reduce regulatory burdens under EO 13771, “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs.”

4. Assess Efficacy of Current Programs – Simultaneous with the above actions, the Task Force recommends an assessment of existing federal grants and subsidy programs devoted to or used for deploying e-connectivity. The assessment should include identification of duplicative and overlapping programs throughout the federal government, and recommendations to enhance the coordination of various funding streams to maximize impact. 5. Incentivize Private Capital Investment – Encourage free-market policies, laws, and structures at federal, state, tribal, and local government levels to create an environment conducive to investment, including public-private partnerships. Such partnerships can bring innovation and investment of sustainable capital to bridge the e-connectivity gap in the fastest and most affordable manner.