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The availability of high speed Internet in rural areas is crucial to National Grange members and all of rural America. Unfortunately one program, the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, is being administered in a way that shortchanges many rural communities. This is a missed opportunity to create jobs, improve the quality of education, and increase access to advanced health care across rural America.
BACKGROUND
The Broadband Loan Program was authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill to ensure that rural communities enjoy the same telecommunications services as urban and suburban communities. This program was intended to provide funding to construct and improve high-speed Internet facilities in rural areas that are not being served in the marketplace. Unfortunately, the program’s focus has shifted away from rural communities to more affluent, suburban communities. In some cases, loans are granted to communities that already have high-speed Internet access and not to un-served rural areas. Rural Americans are being deprived of the intended benefits of this important program. Economic development, public safety, education and health initiatives that stand to improve the quality of life for rural Americans are missed opportunities for rural communities that should be helped by this program.
The future viability of many family farms and rural communities in a global economy will depend upon access to high-speed Internet technologies. That access, in turn, will depend on substantial and positive reform of the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program.
GRANGE POLICY
The National Grange supports the following revisions to the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program in the 2007 Farm Bill.
1. We support converting the existing priority for broadband loans and loan guarantees to un-served rural communities to an unequivocal mandate that cannot be circumvented.
2. We support tightening population eligibility requirements for financing under the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program to ensure that smaller, rural communities receive priority access to these funds.
3. We further urge the adoption of provisions to grant explicit authority for locally owned and managed rural broadband providers that are eligible for assistance under this program to be able to engage existing telecommunications companies to provide management services on a temporary and contractual basis as a form of public/private partnership to facilitate the deployment of broadband facilities in rural communities.
4. Finally, We support substantially increasing the funding available under this program for technical assistance grants and training for locally-formed cooperatives and non-profit rural broadband provider organizations to assist them in applying for loans and loan guarantees under this program.
Action Needed
Please e-mail your U. S. Senator and U.S. Representative urging them to consider National Grange endorsed revisions to the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program in the 2007 Farm Bill. Please feel free to cut and paste the following sample letter. If you do not know your Senators’ e-mail addresses please click here, and if you need your Representative’s e-mail addresses please click here to find them.
Sample E-Mail
Dear Senator/Representative,
The availability of high speed Internet in rural areas is crucial to National Grange members and all of rural America. Unfortunately one program, the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, is being administered in a way that shortchanges many rural communities. This program was intended to provide funding to construct and improve high-speed Internet facilities in rural areas that are not being served in the marketplace. Unfortunately, the program’s focus has shifted away from rural communities to more affluent, suburban communities. In some cases, loans are granted to communities that already have high-speed Internet access and not to un-served rural areas, who are being deprived of the intended program benefits.
The National Grange supports the following revisions to the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program in the 2007 Farm Bill:
1. We support converting the existing priority for broadband loans and loan guarantees to un-served rural communities to an unequivocal mandate that cannot be circumvented.
2. We support tightening population eligibility requirements for financing under the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program to ensure that smaller, rural communities receive priority access to these funds.
3. We further urge the adoption of provisions to grant explicit authority for locally owned and managed rural broadband providers that are eligible for assistance under this program to be able to engage existing telecommunications companies to provide management services on a temporary and contractual basis as a form of public/private partnership to facilitate the deployment of broadband facilities in rural communities.
4. Finally, We support substantially increasing the funding available under this program for technical assistance grants and training for locally-formed cooperatives and non-profit rural broadband provider organizations to assist them in applying for loans and loan guarantees under this program.
The future viability of many family farms and rural communities in a global economy will depend upon access to high-speed Internet technologies. That access, in turn, will depend on substantial and positive reform of the Rural Utility Service/Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program. I urge you to address this priority as part of the 2007 Farm Bill. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
(Name)_________________
(Grange name and number) ________________
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If you have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Program Assistant Samantha Johnson by e-mail: sjohnson@nationalgrange.org by fax: 202-347-1091 or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109.
Thank you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative Program.
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