Rural Champion lauded for $9B proposed investment in rural broadband

WASHINGTON D.C. – The announcement of a planned $9 billion investment in 5G expansion by the FCC on Tuesday is lauded as a huge step forward in rural equity in the social, education, health care, business and many other spheres said National Grange President Betsy Huber.

The Grange, a nonpartisan nonprofit, known as the nation’s oldest advocacy organization working on behalf of rural Americans, has had rural broadband expansion as one of its priority issues for more than a decade.

“This truly is a huge leap forward for every rural community struggling to prosper because of the digital divide,” Huber said. “We are so happy that Chairman Pai saw the opportunity to take unused spectrum to expand access to millions of Americans, meeting a challenge with an innovative solution and providing the necessary funds to make this opportunity a reality.”

While it was not planned this way, it seemed fitting that the announcement came on the birthday of the National Grange, which was founded in Washington, D.C., as a fraternal organization for farm families on Dec. 4, 1867.

Huber, who served from 2017-19 on the Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee and has spoken and written on the issue extensively, called the move bold and exciting.

“The Chairman has been always had a listening ear and an open mind when it comes to rural concerns, especially related to broadband,” National Grange President Betsy Huber said about Pai, who was a recipient of the National Grange’s 2018 Champion of Rural America Award. “Under his tenure, Chairman Pai has done so much within his area of influence to advance rural communities.”

The proposal would allow the use of Universal Service Funds to carriers who would then deploy 5G devices that will increase services, with $1 billion of the funds specifically set aside for precision agriculture.

“This is a win across the boards,” Huber said. “For people at home, for farmers in the fields, for children in classrooms and patients in rural clinics or hospitals, there is so much good that can come from a move like this and we look forward to even greater investments like this that help rural communities thrive, because we know when rural communities thrive, all of the nation does as well.”