Rural Broadband Getting State and Federal Push

To be a part of the modern world, high-speed internet access is no longer optional. We’ve been saying this since at least the 1990s, yet Missouri continues to lag behind other states. Somehow we have entered the third decade of the 2000s with more than 1.2 million Missourians still lacking access to broadband internet. This is more than any other state except California and Texas. Missouri Farm Bureau made broadband access a top priority the past two state legislative sessions. We successfully advocated for an Office of Broadband Development, which was established within the Department of Economic Development in 2018. In 2020, we need to continue our investment by directing more money to this fund. The General Assembly should also extend the grant program’s authorization beyond its current August 2021 sunset. There is a lot more work to do before every rural Missourian has access to broadband.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai also recently named Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst to a working group as part of the FCC’s new Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force. This group of people with real-world experience in precision agriculture will advise the US Department of Agriculture and the FCC about the needs of tomorrow’s farmers.  These federal and state efforts are also being combined with private industry. If all of these groups pull in the same direction, we can close the digital divide that currently exists between rural and urban citizens. Of course, as new technologies come online, we will need to keep fighting to ensure rural areas are not left behind. In the 2020s, every American deserves the opportunity to access the modern economy and engage in modern culture. Through consistent effort, Missouri can move to the head of the pack and provide broadband to all corners of our state.

[Eric Bohl is the Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy for Missouri Farm Bureau]