Fischer hosts roundtable on expanding broadband to rural areas

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) hosted a roundtable in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Friday to explore policies and proposals designed to improve broadband access for agriculture producers.

FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly and local stakeholders from Nebraska’s agricultural industry also attended the roundtable.

“(Friday’s) roundtable provided an important forum for addressing the broadband needs of Nebraska’s rural community,” Fischer, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said. “I was delighted to welcome FCC Commissioner O’Rielly to Nebraska and introduce him to our local stakeholders. We enjoyed a robust discussion on the new opportunities generated from innovative technology while emphasizing the need for greater access in our rural communities.”

Fischer thanked O’Rielly for attending the roundtable and said that they could find ways to work together to increase broadband access and limit regulatory burdens.

“I will continue to welcome national decision-makers to Nebraska so they can better understand the needs of our citizens and see firsthand the impact of federal policies,” Fischer concluded.

O’Rielly said that expanding broadband access to underserved communities has been one of his top priorities, and that the roundtable had reemphasized the benefits gained in doing so.

“I greatly appreciate Sen. Fischer’s invitation to join this important conversation, which I will certainly continue back in Washington,” O’Rielly said.

Broadband access enables local agricultural producers to tap into connected technologies that transmit data on everything from crop yields, soil moisture and plant health to weather conditions and crop damage from insects.