Supporting President Trump’s Vision for Expanding Broadband in Rural America

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Recently, President Donald Trump attended the American Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Convention in Nashville (TN) to announce the recommendations of the interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. The Administration is taking immediate steps to reduce barriers to deployment of broadband in rural America. An executive order released on Jan 8 – Streamlining and Expediting Requests to Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America – instructs agencies to remove obstacles to capital investment and broadband services and more efficiently employ government resources. It also proposes using the GSA Common Form Application as a tool to streamline and expedite the review of requests to locate broadband facilities on federal property. The order contains key actions that will likely spur further investment, speed up deployment and decrease costs. A separate Presidential memorandum issued Monday directs the Secretary of the Interior to increase access to tower facilities and other infrastructure assets managed by the Department, with the purpose of supporting rural broadband deployment and adoption. The availability of these facilities could help bring 5G to rural areas more quickly.

The Department of Commerce is committed to expanding broadband around the country and executing President Trump’s strategy for increasing rural prosperity. The Department is encouraging the growth of the internet of things, supporting broadband network buildouts, and maximizing the use of the country's spectrum resources. Broadband connectivity is the foundation upon which more competitive, sustainable and prosperous rural communities can be built. The Trump Administration and the Commerce Department will continue to pursue all options to encourage the deployment of high-speed broadband.


Supporting President Trump’s Vision for Expanding Broadband in Rural America