It was my pleasure as State Director of USDA Rural Development in Nevada to welcome officials from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (a part of Rural Development) to Reno earlier this week to discuss exciting opportunities to extend broadband to unserved and underserved parts of the United States.
As President Obama said in his State of the Union Address, “In this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential.” Broadband will extend improved educational opportunities to rural America’s schools, including those located on Tribal lands. Creating jobs is a top priority of this administration, and the infrastructure to be constructed with the $4.8 billion in loan and grant funds being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will assist communities as they work to attract new business opportunities.
The President was clear in his message, “There are projects … all across this country that will create jobs and help move our nation's goods, services, and information.” Nothing moves information better than broadband. Whether it is a crop report, weather data, hospital files, security information or just a recipe for a new cookie recipe that a budding business owner will use to start a venture, broadband is indispensible. Here in Nevada it will enable a painter or craft maker to sell goods over the Internet to buyers not only on the East Coast, but in Eastern Europe, and around the world.
There will be a series of additional broadband workshops across the nation over the next few weeks. The schedule includes the following stops: January 29, Denver; February 1, San Antonio, TX; February 2, Eureka, MO; February 4, Sioux Falls, SD; February 5, Detroit, MI; February 9, Blacksburg, VA; February 11, Fayetteville, NC; and February 12, Atlanta, GA. If you want more information go to: http://www.broadbandusa.gov.
Submitted by Sarah Adler, State Director, USDA Rural Development, Nevada