U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture and Commerce Committees, this week introduced the Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments (LAST ACRE) Act. This legislation would create a new Last Acre Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Rural Development aiming to expand network connectivity across farmland and ranchland. U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) co-led the introduction of the legislation.
Existing Rural Development programs support “last mile” broadband deployment, which connects broadband networks to rural households or businesses. USDA lacks a program focused on extending connectivity across rural acreage, reaching the “last acre.” This last acre connectivity is critical for farmers and ranchers looking to use precision agriculture technologies in their operations.
“It’s time for us to connect the last mile to the last acre. Producers looking to adopt precision agriculture technologies need network connectivity that extends far past their residences. They need to be able to make real-time decisions that increase yields and employ resources more efficiently. Our LAST ACRE Act will ensure that USDA has the strategy and resources needed to support last acre connectivity,” said Senator Fischer.
National Stakeholder Support:
“Equipment manufacturers are proud to provide American farmers and ranchers with innovative tools that will keep our agriculture sector competitive for generations to come. Farmers and ranchers cannot take advantage of the benefits of technology such as precision agriculture without reliable and affordable connectivity. We applaud Senators Fischer and Lujan for championing legislation that ensures all aspects of rural America are connected, from the hospital to the school and from the farmhouse to the field,” said Kip Eideberg, Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
“This bill will play a critical role in securing America’s rural communities and ensuring America‘s continued leadership in agriculture. Thank you to Senator Fischer and Senator Luján for their dedication and deliberate action for America’s farmers, ranchers, and the communities they support,” said Julie Bushell, CEO of Ethos Connected, LLC.
“We thank Senators Fischer and Lujan for their leadership in ensuring America’s dairy farmers have meaningful access to high-speed broadband and wireless network technology. The LAST ACRE Act harnesses USDA’s efforts to expand high-speed broadband in rural communities and the recommendations developed by the Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force to provide farmers and ranchers with the connectivity and infrastructure that will help their hard work and innovation continue to drive agricultural production and advancement,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation.
“Competitive Carriers Association commends Senators Fischer and Luján on the bipartisan introduction of the ‘Last Acre Connection Act of 2023.’ This bill recognizes the critical role wireless connectivity plays in rural America and provides opportunities to expand and augment those networks. The precision agriculture applications increasingly relied on in rural farmland, ranches, forests, and other areas require enhanced mobile and wireless connectivity. The Last Acre Connection Act of 2023 can help federal USDA support programs provide the ubiquitous wireless connectivity our country’s agriculture community’s diverse needs demand. I thank Senators Fischer and Luján for their unwavering commitment to fully connecting rural communities,” said Tim Donovan, President and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association.
The full list of bill endorsements includes: The American Farm Bureau, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Competitive Carriers Association, Ethos Connected, Farmers Union, John Deere, National Corn Growers Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Milk Producers Federation, and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.
Background:
The LAST ACRE Act would establish the Last Acre Program at USDA to expand high-speed broadband internet access. This access would support ubiquitous last acre coverage across eligible agricultural land, including farmland, ranchland, and farm sites.
The bill would also direct USDA to update the Census of Agriculture to include questions that would discover insights into producers’ adoption of broadband internet access services. These updates would provide USDA with additional information about service speed and broadband usage purposes, including its use for precision agriculture technologies.