Stay Informed

Access to broadband has been a problem in Indiana – particularly rural Indiana – for a long time, but the pandemic has made the extent of the problem crystal clear.

“It’s pretty obvious that farmers need broadband access,” said Katrina Hall, INFB’s senior director of policy strategy and advocacy. “But in March, when the world changed, it became clear that the need for high-quality broadband to the last home or, as some are now saying, the last acre is as essential as water or power,” she added.

“It’s not just because of COVID, but COVID has put a focus on the problem because broadband is how we communicate and relate to each other, buy groceries, decide how much fertilizer to apply, attend school and access health care,” Hall said. “And broadband is an essential part of working from home – a trend that is expected to continue which is in turn expanding opportunities for off-farm employment.”

Indiana’s priority in the Next Level Connections program has been getting broadband to the unserved, and that was the right issue to focus on, Hall noted.

“But there are so many more people in rural areas who are underserved, so now it’s time to consider what kind of statutory framework is needed to help them. The question is, how can the state assist local communities and what funding options are possible?” she said.

Expanding broadband to the unserved and underserved is about implementing the efficiencies of ag technology, accessing virtual education for K-12 as well as college, working from home for any company in the world and, most important, accessing the benefits of modern telemedicine. 

For this reason, expanding broadband to the unserved and underserved is Indiana Farm Bureau’s No. 1 priority for the 2021 General Assembly.

“Members need to be communicating with legislators and others and tell them that this is something we have to have,” Hall added.