Comprehensive Rural Broadband Strategy due to Congress

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) directs the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission to develop, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, a comprehensive rural broadband strategy.

Section 6112 of the 2008 Farm Bill requires the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, to submit a report to Congress describing a comprehensive rural broadband strategy within a year of the passage of the Act.
The Act specifies that the report shall include:

(1) recommendations—

(A) to promote interagency coordination of Federal agencies in regards to policies, procedures, and targeted resources, and to streamline or otherwise improve and streamline the policies, programs, and services;

(B) to coordinate existing Federal rural broadband or rural initiatives;

(C) to coordinate both short- and long-term needs assessments and solutions for a rapid build-out of rural broadband solutions and application of the recommendations for Federal, State, regional, and local government policymakers; and

(D) to identify how specific Federal agency programs and resources can best respond to rural broadband requirements and overcome obstacles that currently impede rural broadband deployment; and

(2) a description of goals and timeframes to achieve the purposes of the report.