Targeted broadband

Targeted broadband

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) points out a typical scenario in rural America as it relates to the internet: ”I've done 20 town halls this year, more than any other member in the House. One of them was out in Spray, Oregon, which has a population of 150," said Walden. "They use a booster to keep the signal going while you're in town, which is one block, but the educators said that when their students get away from that they don't have connection when they go home. This county has one person for every nine miles of power line, so this is remote, and we need to look at alternative platforms that work to get into these areas.”

Well, the House of Representatives passed Farm Bureau-backed legislation that will improve the accuracy of broadband coverage maps to better identify needs.

The Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act (H.R. 4229) requires broadband providers to report more specific data to create a significantly more accurate and granular National Broadband Map. With more precise data, federal agencies can target funding to areas that need it most.

Previous ReportTire Inflation
Next ReportSugar beet crop