Nebraska Farm Bureau Encourages Challenges to New Federal Broadband Map
LINCOLN, NEB. – Access to high-speed, high-quality broadband service is essential to Nebraska’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) has been working to correct inaccurate broadband maps in recent years.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released a new map showing known broadband and mobile internet availability to every address in the nation, kick-starting a public challenge process that runs until January 13 and will play a critical role in improving the accuracy of the map.
“Internet access is a necessity in modern agriculture and for the continued success of the small towns our farmers and ranchers rely on daily. After extensive support and work on the process, Nebraska Farm Bureau welcomes the release of the FCC’s broadband map. Our members and all Nebraskans can now help ensure quality internet service is delivered to all areas of the state,” said Mark McHargue, NEFB president.
Nebraska Farm Bureau is encouraging every Nebraskan to check the map and to give comments on its accuracy. An accurate map is an important resource for targeting federal funding and other efforts meant to bring broadband to unserved and underserved areas.
The public can view the maps at broadbandmap.fcc.gov and search for their address to see information about the fixed and mobile services that internet providers have reported are available to the location. If the fixed internet services shown are not available at the user’s location, they may file a challenge with the FCC directly through the map interface to correct the information.
Map users are also able to correct information about their location and add their location to the map if it is missing. This initial map also shows the mobile wireless coverage reported by cellular service providers.
“This is an incredibly important process that all rural Nebraskans should take part in,” said McHargue. “Ensuring quality broadband and internet services are provided to Nebraska farm and ranch communities is a key goal of Nebraska Farm Bureau, and we are pleased to support this process to hold the federal government accountable to the infrastructure investment the federal government promised.”
The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 55,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit www.nefb.org.
