Category Archives: Rural

Doug Dawson points out three flaws of BEAD

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Doug Dawson knows broadband policy and technology from the ground up. He has written about three main flaws in BEAD funding…

BEAD Satellite Awards. I start with the premise that rural communities are not going to be happy when somebody officially tells them that the federal government is giving money to Starlink or Kuiper to solve their rural broadband gap. It’s likely that NTIA and the FCC will declare that satellite is good broadband so that they can declare that the rural broadband gap has been solved.

There are also natural limitations on the capabilities of satellite broadband. It can be difficult to deliver a satellite signal through heavy tree canopy.  …

Defaults. There will continue to be defaults for existing broadband grant programs. This year saw significant RDOF defaults from Charter and CenturyLink. There will be defaults on networks funded by ARPA grants, where funding ends at the end of 2026.

I expect BEAD defaults. …

Crappy Mapping. The biggest group of locations missed by BEAD will be due to poor FCC maps. The BEAD map challenge was a total joke. It was fairly easy for ISPs to get BEAD-eligible locations removed from the map, including many that should have stayed on. The map challenge made it practically impossible to add locations to the BEAD map where the FCC maps were in error. There are two major flaws in the FCC maps that will surface as people complain about still not having adequate broadband.

Research shows rural broadband deployment positively affected employment

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A new report (Wired and working? An evaluation of broadband expansion in Rural America) has come out on the impact of CAF on rural communities…

This paper addresses this [rural broadband] gap by evaluating the Connect America Fund (CAF), one of the largest federal broadband programs. CAF provided an unprecedented scale of financial incentives for broadband deployment to companies offering services in unserved or underserved rural areas across the United States. In theory, this support would allow eligible carriers to recover some of their costs and provide services that would otherwise remain unavailable. As a result of CAF, we expect both increased broadband access and expanded economic opportunities enabled by the expanded access. CAF operated until 2020, after which it was replaced by an even larger program: the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. …

Our results suggest that broadband deployment positively affected employment, both in total levels and as a share of the labor force, and increased median household income in the benefited areas. These effects generally strengthened over time, particularly during the pandemic, with earlier-treated areas experiencing the largest gains. Distinctly, we do not find consistent evidence of impacts on self-employment. Our findings offer new insights into how large-scale infrastructure investments can shape local labor markets.

EVENT Sep 30: BEAD Deployment: Preparing to Connect the Heartland Once and For All

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From Heartland Forward …

Join Heartland Forward on Tuesday, September 30th at 10 AM CST for a 60-minute webinar, BEAD Deployment: Preparing to Connect the Heartland Once and For All.

This conversation will:

  •  Provide an overview of how heartland states plan to deploy federal funding to deliver high-speed internet to all communities.
  •  Offer practical steps local governments, ISPs and community leaders can take, such as streamlining permitting and infrastructure approvals, to accelerate deployment when funding arrives.
  •  Highlight resources like the Connecting the Heartland Jobs Board, connecting workers to high-speed internet jobs and training opportunities to support rapid deployment.

Featured Speakers:

  •  Mary Larkin Furlow – Senior Manager of Connecting the Heartland, Heartland Forward
  •  Devon Braunstein – Director, Illinois Office of Broadband
  •  Kathryn de Wit – Project Director, Broadband Access, The Pew Charitable Trusts
  •  Glen Howie – State Broadband Director, The Arkansas State Broadband Office
  •  Veneeth Iyengar – Executive Director, ConnectLA
  •  Mike Sanders – Executive Director, Oklahoma Broadband Office
  •  Peter Voderberg – Chief, BroadbandOhio

Register here for the webinar.

 

Please share this invitation with others who are invested in connecting every home, business and community in the heartland. Together, we can ensure that every heartland community has the high-speed internet access it needs to thrive.

TC Business looks at Minnesota’s investment in broadband

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Twin Cities Business posted a nice article on the history of broadband funding in Minnesota right up to today. It provides enough background to give context to a topic that ever-changing due to the nature of technology and funding…

For more than a decade, the state of Minnesota has been actively pursuing expansion of high-speed broadband access throughout greater Minnesota as well as in the Twin Cities metro. And there have been some significant success stories. But as Sjostrom’s experience demonstrates, there are still plenty of areas where internet speeds are still sluggish.

On Aug. 28, the state’s Office of Broadband Development announced that it would be making plans to disburse an estimated $392 million to parts of the state needing faster internet connections. That funding will certainly help bring greater Minnesota up to speed. With their general lack of urban density, rural areas still face the challenge of making broadband investments financially viable.

The recognize that both urban and rural communities have challenges…

Broadband access and the urban-rural digital divide have been widely discussed topics throughout this century. The pandemic intensified reliance on the internet to conduct business, work from home, and make purchases. Consequently, it made high-speed internet access an even more urgent need.

And recognize the work being done to increase access and adoption…

The state of Minnesota began addressing the need for higher-speed internet in 2013, when it established the Office of Broadband Development within the Department of Employment and Economic Development. The office was tasked with helping fund “border-to-border” high-speed internet access for all state residents and businesses. The following year, it launched a grant program through the state’s general fund to support communities’ efforts to attract broadband development.

Since 2014, the general fund money, along with some broadband-dedicated capital project funds, has totaled more than $400 million. There have been 10 rounds of border-to-border state grants to internet service providers (ISPs) to expand broadband in “unserved and underserved” locations. Those terms are defined by connection speed as measured in megabits per second (Mbps). “Underserved” connectivity has upload speed of lower than 100 Mbps and download speed of lower than 20 Mbps. “Unserved” is lower than 25 up and lower than 3 down. To earn a state broadband grant, a project must have speeds of at least 100/25 with the capability to scale up over time to 100/100.

Each border-to-border grant has covered up to 50% of an expansion project’s costs. There also have been three grant rounds from a smaller funding bucket called the Low-Population Density Program, which covers 75% of costs. According to Bree Maki, the Office of Broadband Development’s executive director, that program “recognizes the most expensive and difficult places to serve,” with the goal of “making the business case” to ISPs to expand in those areas. These grants “come with a lot of local match [dollars],” she adds.

Both ISPs and communities have contributed to buildout projects. Since 2014, nearly 120,000 locations have received state grant dollars. There are currently four grant rounds in progress, all of which will close by year’s end.

They may have also quoted me…

Based on her December 2024 profiles, Treacy says that “there are a number of counties that are doing well, and some of those counties are in rural areas.” Beltrami County, for instance, has enjoyed high-speed broadband thanks to fiber installed by Bemidji-based Paul Bunyan Communications.

“While some rural areas are well served, that puts the ones that aren’t well served further and further behind,” Treacy says. “Schools, businesses, health care organizations all assume a certain level of technology now. And if you don’t have it, you’re sunk.”

 

 

Can better broadband help girls in rural MN become better math students?

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MinnPost reports…

Minnesota girls’ math skills fell nearly half a grade level behind boys in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis of standardized test scores.

The Associated Press looked at average test scores for third through eighth graders across 15 years in over 5,000 school districts in 33 states, compiled by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University.

Across the country, the analysis shows that schools have lost ground since the pandemic following a decade in which educators had nearly closed the gender gap between girls and boys on math scores. While boys’ scores also suffered during COVID, they have recovered faster than girls’ scores. The widening gender gap in Minnesota was among the largest nationwide, equivalent to 43% of a grade level.

It turns out the situation may be worse for girls in rural Minnesota. There is the issue of broadband access…

When schools closed for the pandemic, districts had to focus on making remote learning work.

“Schools were more concerned with the logistics of getting kids on the right application and in the right Zoom room,or getting them to stay at their computers for the whole day, or even helping students and teachers find stable internet, especially in rural areas,” said Kondo, the education professor at St. Catherine University.

Also, there is the issue of girls not seeing themselves in STEM jobs…

Osakis superintendent Dahlheimer also notes that there are cultural aspects of rural Minnesota that make it more difficult to achieve his goal of creating long-term partnerships with businesses that can offer female STEM workers as role models for his district’s students.

“There are less STEM jobs out here. That may change with remote working, but for now, most homes are single-earner homes, and the person working is the husband, the father,” leading to a dearth of women whom girls can see thriving in STEM fields.

The numbers support the lack of role models in the workforce…

In Minnesota, only 26% of STEM workers are female, and only 11% are people of color, Brown said.

Obviously, better broadband would help the access issue. But it also seems that better broadband would support remote work, which would support mothers working (even part time) remotely in all fields, including STEM. Also with better broadband, girls in rural areas can more easily be introduced or even develop mentorships with women working in STEM in rural, suburban and urban areas.

There are some exceptions and I want to give a nod to Iron Rang Engineering’s #Night Program, which turned 10 last February. Here’s more info from their website…

Engineering outreach is a large aspect of Iron Range Engineering because we believe in giving back to our community. #Night is all about empowering young women to know that they can choose a career in engineering if they want to. Having more women in engineering will lead to better and more innovative ideas for solving the world’s problems.

AI applications for rural broadband providers

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 NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association just released an interesting paper on AI use for rural broadband providers…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the product of high-speed computer analysis of vast data sets that results in
predictive guidance for users. It can be used across a wide range of industries and applications, including
broadband network management; medicine and health care; writing and content creation; and customer
service support. AI represents both an opportunity and challenge for rural broadband providers and the
communities they serve. AI promises efficiencies and other gains but also implicates privacy, data security
and labor market considerations.
This paper provides rural broadband operators with a practical introduction to AI and its applied use for
telecommunications and other industries in rural settings. We will explain fundamental AI concepts and
terminology while highlighting specific examples of how rural ISPs and other businesses can use AI across
business operations, including customer service and administrative management. At the same time, we will
explore practical considerations about costs, customer perceptions and the need for thoughtful AI policies to
help rural providers navigate these challenges successfully. By serving as both users and enablers of AI, rural
ISPs can contribute significantly to the economic development and quality of life in the areas they serve.

EVENT Sep 17: Rural Assembly Everywhere 2025

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From the folks as Rural Assembly…

Join us on Sept. 17 for Rural Assembly Everywhere 2025, a free virtual gathering for rural leaders, community members, advocates, and allies.
This year’s theme A Bigger Pie: Cultivating Abundance in a Time of Scarcity is an invitation to imagine new ways to expand opportunity, share resources, and build a more connected, thriving rural America.

Sign up now to connect, learn, and build stronger rural communities.

Register Now

Should the smartphone-broadband bundle should be on every rural operator’s radar?

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CoBank posts an article on “Why the smartphone-broadband bundle should be on every rural operator’s radar.” Here are their key points:

  • Bundles are winning: Customers increasingly prefer bundled smartphone and home broadband services for simplicity and savings – national carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, Comcast, and Charter are capitalizing on this trend and gaining market share.
  • Rural competition is heating up: Massive federal funding, expanded wireless coverage, and improving satellite options (like Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper) are intensifying competition in rural markets.
  • Technology is enabling growth: Advances like the 6GHz band and next-gen FWA systems (e.g., Tarana) are making wireless broadband more viable and scalable – even in hard-to-serve areas.
  • Smaller operators are taking notice: Regional players like WOW!, Midco, and Mediacom, along with NCTC members, are beginning to offer mobile services to compete with bundled offerings.
  • The risk of doing nothing is rising: While offering mobile isn’t easy or cheap, not responding to the bundled threat could mean higher churn, lost customers, and long-term erosion of market share.

LAST ACRE Act promotes broadband to the farm

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Telecompetitor reports…

Rural broadband would get a boost if a precision agriculture bill introduced in the Senate were to be adopted.

The Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments (LAST ACRE) Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), would create a competitive grant and loan program in the USDA focused on the “last acre.”

As a fact sheet explains, existing broadband programs support connectivity to households but don’t address connectivity across farmland and ranchland. That “last acre” connectivity would be important to support precision agriculture applications such as soil mapping and aerial imaging.

Precision Agriculture Bill

The LAST ACRE Act would:

  • Enable eligible producers to work with eligible service providers to apply for broadband service and to secure network offers across farm and ranch sites. Multipoint connectivity would be supported to enable data transmission between structures and devices. Funding also could be used for wireless infrastructure construction, including retrofitting existing vertical structures.
  • Update the USDA’s Agriculture Census to include questions about broadband adoption, including the subscribers’ speeds and the purposes of the connections.

The LAST ACRE Act is part of a broader package of three precision agriculture bills. The other two bills are the PRECISE Act, which would provide financial tools to help boost farmer and rancher adoption of precision agriculture technologies through existing USDA conservation programs. The Precision Agriculture Loan (PAL) Act would develop a USDA program to finance farmers and ranchers interested in purchasing precision agriculture equipment.

Three things a recent study found about remote work

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Harvard Business School reports…

Harvard Business School research continues to reveal the contours of a workforce changed by COVID-19. And yet, despite the technological advancements of the past five years, a digital divide persists. …

  1. Many workers are lagging in digital literacy
    In a study of 40 million Microsoft Windows devices across US households in more than 28,000 ZIP codes, a vast “digital divide” emerged, with people in rural areas significantly lagging behind cities in their use of computers, according to Raffaella Sadun and Shane Greenstein.
  2. Migrant-local collaborations benefit communities
    Prithwiraj Choudhury and a collaborator held a two-day entrepreneurial boot camp as a field experiment. Among the 278 participants, the researchers paired some local residents with fellow locals, then paired other locals with migrants who came from all over the United States and as far away as Africa, the Middle East, and Japan.
  3. Many people would give up pay for remote work
    Zoë Cullen and Christopher Stanton asked more than 2,000 workers if they would be willing to give up part of their salaries to keep their flexibility rather than return to the office five days a week or find a new job.

A revived bill in Congress would ask the FCC to satellite rules and precision ag needs

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

A bill revived Wednesday would require the Federal Communications Commission to assess its existing satellite rules to enhance farmers ability to utilize precision agriculture technologies.

The Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act, sponsored by Reps. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Robin Kelly, D-Illinois, would direct the FCC, working with the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture, to review regulations governing fixed satellite service, mobile satellite service, and earth exploration satellite service.

The FCC would be required to submit a report to Congress within 15 months outlining its findings and any recommended rule modifications to improve agricultural connectivity.

Bill introduced to MN House: HF653 transferring money into the agriculture research, education, extension, and technology transfer

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MN House of Representatives hears a new bill…

Nelson; Anderson, P. H., and Frederick introduced:

H. F. 653, A bill for an act relating to agriculture; transferring money into the agriculture research, education, extension, and technology transfer (AGREETT) account; appropriating money for the agriculture research, education, extension, and technology transfer grant program and farm business management challenge grants; requiring reports.

The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Agriculture Finance and Policy.

While not necessarily directly to broadband, it does sound like a potential for increased use of rural broadband…

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; transferring money into the agriculture research, education,
extension, and technology transfer (AGREETT) account; appropriating money for
the agriculture research, education, extension, and technology transfer grant
program and farm business management challenge grants; requiring reports.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. TRANSFER; AGRICULTURE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, EXTENSION,
AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER GRANT PROGRAM.

$11,102,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $11,102,000 in fiscal year 2027 are transferred from
the general fund to the agriculture research, education, extension, and technology transfer
(AGREETT) account in the agricultural fund under Minnesota Statutes, section 41A.14,
subdivision 3. The base for this transfer is $11,102,000 in fiscal year 2028 and each year
thereafter.

Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; AGRICULTURE RESEARCH, EDUCATION,
EXTENSION, AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) $11,102,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $11,102,000 in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated
from the agriculture research, education, extension, and technology transfer (AGREETT)
account in the agricultural fund under Minnesota Statutes, section 41A.14, subdivision 3,
to the commissioner of agriculture for the AGREETT grant program under Minnesota
Statutes, section 41A.14. To the extent practicable, money expended under Minnesota
Statutes, section 41A.14, subdivision 1, clauses (1) and (2), must supplement and not supplant
existing sources and levels of funding. The commissioner of agriculture may use up to one
percent of this appropriation for costs incurred to administer the program. Of the amount
appropriated for the AGREETT grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section 41A.14:

(1) $600,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $600,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for the Minnesota
Agricultural Experiment Station’s agriculture rapid response fund under Minnesota Statutes,
section 41A.14, subdivision 1, clause (2);

(2) up to $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and up to $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for
research on avian influenza, salmonella, and other turkey-related diseases and disease
prevention measures;

(3) $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for grants to
the Minnesota Agriculture Education Leadership Council (MAELC) to enhance agricultural
education with priority given to farm business management challenge grants. In awarding
grants, the MAELC shall prioritize funding for faculty with expertise in farm transition
planning, rural mental health, and growing specialty crops in urban areas;

(4) $350,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $350,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for potato breeding;

(5) $802,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $802,000 in fiscal year 2027 are to fund the Forever
Green Initiative and protect the state’s natural resources while increasing the efficiency,
profitability, and productivity of Minnesota farmers by incorporating perennial and
winter-annual crops into existing agricultural practices. The base for the allocation under
this clause is $802,000 in fiscal year 2028 and each year thereafter. By February 1 each
year, the dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the
University of Minnesota must submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture finance and policy and higher
education detailing uses of the funds in this clause, including administrative costs, and the
achievements these funds contributed to;

(6) $200,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $200,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for research on
natural stands of wild rice; and

(7) $250,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $250,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for the cultivated
wild rice forward selection project at the North Central Research and Outreach Center,
including a tenure track or research associate plant scientist.

(b) The base for this appropriation is $11,102,000 in fiscal year 2028 and each year
thereafter.

OPPORTUNITY: Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grants deadline March 6, 2025

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An opportunity from USDA Rural Development...

This competitive program helps rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other – and the world – overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. We encourage you to consider projects that promote equity and economic opportunity in rural America, specifically those that advance these key priorities:

  • Assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure.
  • Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to Rural Development programs and benefits from Rural Development funded projects; and
  • Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.

Based on Fiscal Year 2024 appropriated funding, the agency estimates that approximately $40 million will be available for Fiscal Year 2025. As permitted, we also will make available any unused appropriations from prior fiscal years, and can increase funding if additional appropriations become available.

To learn more about recently funded DLT projects, Rural Development has developed a map of recently funded DLT projects  All upcoming events will be posted on the events program tab.

Who may apply?

For both programs, eligible applicants include most entities that provide education or health care through telecommunications, including:

  • State and local governmental organizations
  • Federally-recognized Tribes
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Incorporated, for-profit businesses
  • Groups of eligible entities working
    together

What is an eligible area?

The DLT program is targeted to rural areas with populations 20,000 or fewer.

How may the funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase or support:

  • Audio, video, and interactive video equipment
  • Broadband facilities used for distance learning or telemedicine (up to a certain percentage)
  • Computer hardware, network components, and software
  • Instructional programming
  • Limited technical assistance and instruction on how to use distance learning and telemedicine equipment

What kinds of funding are available?

Grant-only funds, awarded through a nationally competitive process  – 15% match required. Funds are awarded through a nationally-competitive process. Currently, this is a grant-only program; there is no DLT loan or loan and grant combination.

What are the grant terms?

Awardees have a three-year performance period beginning the date funds are released.

What are some grant requirements?

  • Awards range from $50,000 to $1 million
  • A minimum 15 percent match is required and cannot be from another federal source

Who currently participates in this program?

See our DLT Recipient Directory for a list of current participants.

How do we get started?

  • Applicants can apply online via Grants.gov
  • Program Resources are available online (includes forms, guidance, certifications, etc.) on the How to Apply tab above
  • Check back here or contact your General Field Representative for additional information

Trends Rural Minnesotans can expect in the tech industry

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The Park Rapids Enterprise looks at Trends Minnesotans can expect in the tech industry. There is one question targeting rural Minnesota…

Q: How can rural communities remain competitive in the tech industry?

Investing in robust digital infrastructure, such as high-speed internet, is critical for rural communities – from supporting remote work and digital education to telehealth services. For example, initiatives like Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program are actively working to close the digital divide by expanding internet access in underserved rural areas.

Additionally, rural communities can foster local talent by partnering with educational institutions and tech companies to provide training in emerging technologies like AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing. Encouraging a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship can attract tech firms and remote workers, enhancing the community’s economic resilience and global competitiveness.

EVENT Jan 15: Unlocking infrastructure investment in distressed rural places

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Brooking Institution is hosting a webinar that looks interesting…

Wednesday, January 15, 2025
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm EST

Infrastructure investment is an essential component of economic growth and productivity. Yet underinvestment in infrastructure and the use of outdated designs have been a long-standing issue in rural America, home to some of the most distressed communities in the nation. The federally chartered regional commissions are mandated to target their federal resources—including for infrastructure—to the distressed communities within their service areas.

With billions of dollars making their way to communities from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), it is critical to understand the opportunities and barriers for distressed rural communities to access infrastructure investment from both federal agencies and from the regional commissions.

On January 15, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Tony Pipa and West Virginia University Professor Heather Stephens will engage the federal co-chairs of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, and Northern Border Regional Commission on the insights offered by Pipa and Stephens’ recent report, “Unlocking investment in distressed rural places: Comparing the infrastructure funding of select federally chartered regional commissions versus federal programs,” and the co-chairs’ own experiences to understand best practices for directing investment to distressed rural places.

Viewers can submit questions for speakers by emailing events@brookings.edu or via X (Twitter) @BrookingsGlobal using #RuralInvestment.