| MARCH 20, 2010 -- The National Grange commends the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on their release of the National Broadband Plan. The Grange hopes that this plan will become the basis for a comprehensive public/private partnership that will finally assure that the benefits of broadband technology are available to every home, farm and small business in America, regardless of geographic location.
It is evident from the FCC's recent study on broadband adoption, that rural America still lags behind urban and suburban communities in home, farm and small business broadband connections. Of non-adopters in rural areas, one in ten say they cannot get broadband where they live - more than double the national average. Rural Americans stand to benefit from online applications like telemedicine, distance learning and telework. The entire nation stands to gain from the economic and environmental benefits that integrating national, high-speed internet with farming, tribal and rural communities will bring. It is time for all Americans to have access to these life-changing opportunities, and the National Grange hopes that the National Broadband Plan will make this possible.
The National Grange thanks President Obama and Congress for their efforts to ensure that all Americans will, some day, live in a fully digitized, connected society, regardless of their geographic location. We also appreciate the FCC's recognition of the importance that private sector investment must play when developing the National Broadband Plan. Such investment will be necessary to bring broadband to every corner of the country. The National Grange looks forward to working together with both the public and private sectors to make sure that the ambitious goals outlined in the Plan become a reality.
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