Agriculture Secretary Announces $1 Billion For Broadband Expansion

On Friday afternoon, US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo to announce the ReConnect Program, which provides $1.1 billion for growing broadband entry in rural areas.

“That might not look at-the-area broadband. This is broadband with add and acquire speeds That permit you To actually do enterprise. That permit You’ve distanced studying For school youngsters. That permits you to have telemedicine In your hospitals, permits that farmer to have precision agriculture on his or her farm.”

Vilsack says $50 million from the USDA have already been made out there to nationwide tasks involved in telemedicine.

Vilsack was joined by Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who emphasised the significance of extreme quality tele-medicine for farmers in Illinois and Iowa.

“You’ve acquired farmers out harvesting proper now–we’re Alleged to get a bunch of rain on Sunday, proper?–They will not Are out there for A doctor’s appointment. That Does not imply any factors cease. So telehealth is extremely important.”

The USDA will start accepting purposes for grants and loans starting November Twenty fourth.