FCC Affirms Commitment to Rural Communities With Enhanced 5G Plan

“The National Grange is proud to support the efforts announced today by The White House and FCC to help underserved and rural communities benefit from improved connectivity. Under the leadership of Chairman Ajit Pai, communities that were once left behind are now poised to experience more of the benefits of our thriving digital economy.

“Today’s announcement of a ‘Rural Digital Opportunity Fund’ builds on previous efforts to work with local and state governments to streamline regulatory requirements and deploy broadband to the people who need it the most. The Fund will invest $20.4 billion over the next 10 years to stimulate private sector investment in innovation and deployment in rural America.

“The Grange is also glad to hear of the progress under the FCC’s 5G FAST Plan and the announcement of the largest commercial spectrum auction to date. 5G has the potential to radically transform how we live and work – including through precision agriculture and telehealth services. This vision will only be possible when the private sector is in the driver’s seat of innovation. A government takeover of 5G networks will only serve to stifle the tremendous progress we have made.

“We applaud the efforts of this Administration to make sure that rural communities and businesses are not left behind and can access the tools and technology they need to succeed the 21st Century.”