Educational and healthcare services may have moved online due to the pandemic but not everyone in Wisconsin can access them, as 28% of the state’s rural population lack broadband connectivity. The Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Independent Businesses, the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, and the Wisconsin Technology Council have signed a letter to Congress asking leaders to support two bills that would help fund expansion of rural broadband. The first bill, H.R. 7160, addresses regulatory issues, while the second, H.R. 7022, would speed deployment of gigabit-tier networks through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Signers to the congressional letter also include two national tech coalitions.
Rural Reporter