The LAST ACRE Act, introduced by Senator Deb Fischer, aims to enhance rural broadband connectivity specifically for precision agriculture applications by establishing a competitive grant and loan program through the USDA. This act focuses on connecting the 'last acre' of farmland, enabling better data transmission for agricultural practices like soil mapping and aerial imaging. It also intends to update the USDA's Agricultural Census to reflect broadband adoption metrics, addressing a gap in current rural broadband programs that only consider household connectivity. The act is part of a trio of bills designed to support agricultural technology adoption.
"Precision agriculture equipment enables America's farmers and ranchers to be stronger stewards of the land; however, high upfront costs and a lack of rural broadband connectivity create frustrating barriers to entry."
"Existing broadband programs support connectivity to households but don't address connectivity across farmland and ranchland, making 'last acre' connectivity critical for precision agriculture."
Collection
[
|
...
]