Telecom, Farm Groups Hash Out Neb. Precision Ag Grant Rules
Some telecom companies disagreed with cattlemen and corn growers on whether the Nebraska Public Service Commission should include a matching requirement in rules to implement the state’s 2022 Precision Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Act. Nebraska plans to fund upcoming PRO-AG grants…
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through the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The PSC shouldn’t require a match for at least the first two years since the program is for "the most rural and cost-prohibitive locations in the state,” Paige Wireless said in comments posted Tuesday in docket BEAD-1. Not requiring matching will encourage more participation, though the commission could give preference to projects that offer a match, said Hamilton Telephone, Nebraska Central Telephone and Reinke Manufacturing in joint comments. Nebraska agriculture associations including for cattlemen, corn growers, and dairy and pork producers supported matches similar to what's required by the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program -- 25% for high-cost areas and 50% for other areas. Require at least a 25% match since projects are in unserved areas, the Nebraska Rural Broadband Alliance said. The state law doesn't allow funding for ILEC fiber, but projects "would wisely be leveraged with other fiber projects,” the alliance said. With 5G wireless "a game-changer for agriculture," grant eligibility should be technology neutral, commented CTIA: The PSC "should be thoughtful about any affordability requirements, and it may be prudent in the context of this agriculture-focused program not to impose any.” The state agriculture associations urged the PSC to give highest priority to areas that lack at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds and that haven't received federal broadband support. Not all precision agriculture applications require 100/20 Mbps, they cautioned. “If those speeds are an absolute requirement, that could be a significant limiting factor in the deployment of these grants.” Require projects to be completed in one year, while letting applicants seek one six-month extension, said the agriculture groups: Completed projects should be required to remain in service at least five years. The PSC should start the PRO-AG grant cycle within six months of the state receiving NTIA approval for BEAD dollars, they said.