Precision Ag Group Hears Need for Farm Connectivity Maps

Farmers and ranchers need better-performing internet access to be productive, innovative and economically sustainable, said Heather Hampton-Knodle, vice chair of a working group on accelerating broadband deployment on unserved agricultural lands and vice president of Knodle Farms. She wants precision ag workers to have access to symmetrical service, and said 10/1 Mbps "is insulting, not just laughable." She fears possible resistance from rural ISPs to increase performance targets. She said smaller farmers might have a harder time negotiating affordable access to the spectrum needed for connected farming equipment and suggested cooperatives or third-party aggregators might play a role.

Agencies can work together to make sure federal dollars go as far as possible to support rural broadband deployment, said Department of Agriculture Rural Services Administrator Chad Rupe. RUS wants to coordinate the timing of its ReConnect pilot program award announcements by September, before the FCC starts its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction in October, he said.

State and federal agencies must work together to map where connectivity is available in crop fields, pastures, ranches and other agricultural lands, said Michael Adelaine, outgoing South Dakota State University vice president-technology and security and chair of a WG on connectivity mapping. He said USDA is a good place to start for data on agriculture lands, and states might have more granular data on land parcels. The FCC could seek crowdsourced help from Google and Microsoft to show where connectivity is available, the WG heard in earlier, private presentations, he said. At its August meeting, the connectivity mapping WG will hear from a provider that delivers broadband to native lands, Leibfried said. It's very clear native lands are "a bit behind" on broadband connectivity compared with non-native lands, said working group Vice Chair Sreekala Bajwa, dean and director of the College of Agriculture & Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. Securing permits on federally protected lands can be so challenging and time consuming that providers give up, she said.

The proposed precision agricultural maps differ from the ones the FCC plans to overhaul for fixed and wireless broadband, which map locations like homes and businesses. The task force heard updates Wednesday on the mandated but as yet unfunded programs. Congress hasn't appropriated funding for the new FCC broadband data collection efforts, so it's hard to predict how soon better maps will be available, agency officials said. Other funding options could include USF or a fee to ISPs, they said. "There isn't currently an answer" on how much funding the FCC needs for its broadband mapping programs, said Deputy Designated Federal Officer Erin Boone, and she could run questions "up the chain" at the agency. As the task force prepares its first report, it will consider recommending the FCC seek congressional funding for broadband mapping data collection, said Chair Teddy Bekele, Land O'Lakes chief technology officer.

Representatives from the Grand Farm in Fargo, North Dakota, gave an update on its plans for autonomous agricultural operations by 2025. Some task force members raised hopes during a meeting in March for a field trip there (see 2003250023). Grand Farm founders discovered a need to bring more venture capital to the area, said Director Brian Carroll. After visits to California, the farm developed a business accelerator and had 14 startups working on technology there this spring, Carroll said.

The next task force meeting is scheduled for Oct. 28. Its leaders hope it might be held in person.