Public News Service reports…

Minnesota is preparing to make use of more than $650 million in federal aid to bring high-speed internet to underserved populations.
Rural areas often lack broadband access, and the extra support is seen as a pathway to well-paying jobs in smaller communities. The Biden administration announced last month exactly how much broadband funding states would get from the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Gary Wertish, president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, compared the move to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which brought electricity to many small towns for the first time. He called the federal broadband support a “game changer” for rural economies.
“It’s well-needed and it’s a good investment,” Wertish contended. “Whether you’re a farmer or you’re a businessman, it seems like we’re competing in a global economy.”
Wertish noted farmers use broadband in their work, but added it might also convince people who left small towns to move back for business opportunities. Rural areas have grappled with population woes, but state researchers say many businesses still struggle to fill openings outside the Twin Cities. Broadband advocates said rural residents could also take more online classes to gain new skills.
Because the workforce is often smaller, Wertish pointed out union-scale jobs can be hard to come by in rural communities, but he suggested creating more broadband fairness could change the narrative.