NSF and USDA fund rural broadband test site in Iowa

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Agriculture are spending $8 million to build a rural broadband testing site in Ames, Iowa, that both industry engineers and researchers from Iowa State University plan to use for developing wireless technologies and piloting rural connectivity strategies. The program will create a “blanket” of experimental broadband coverage across nearly 600 square miles of central Iowa—including six school districts—in its efforts to research 5G use cases, pilot emerging connectivity technologies, and assess how high-speed wireless access can enhance agricultural practices. This testbed is the first of its kind in the Midwest, though the NSF has already launched three other similar sites in Salt Lake City, New York City and Raleigh (NC). All of the sites have similar missions in experimenting with new communications technology, though the one in Iowa will be the first focused on rural service.