Grange President appointed to second FCC Broadband Working Group

This week, National Grange President Betsy Huber was appointed to the Streamlining Federal Siting Working Group of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.  She also serves on the State Model Code Working Group.

“The Streamlining Federal Siting Working Group is charged with developing recommendations to improve the process of siting wireless and wired internet facilities on federal lands and federally managed properties.  Many of these properties are located in rural areas and could be used to expand broadband into our countryside that is currently unserved.  I’m pleased to assist in the effort to bring access to our members and friends in rural America.”

The appointment, made by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, allows Huber to work with other industry and advocacy leaders to determine strategy for placement of broadband facilities on federally owned lands that will allow broadband access to be deployed to millions more Americans quickly, a critical component for parity of service available for rural consumers.

“Much of the land in the west – where so many of our Grange members reside – is still federally held, so determining ways federal lands may be used to improve the quality of life of those living around them is something I believe is extremely important and one of the simpler solutions to bridging the digital divide,” Huber said. “In other parts of the country where the landscape of rural America poses a challenge to broadband expansion, you will find federal facilities such as military reserve bases, laboratories, courthouse, post offices and data storage centers, that could also be pieces of the puzzle to full broadband deployment. Since the government is promoting expansion of internet access to all, it only makes sense that government facilities should be utilized as much as possible and practical to accomplish this goal.”