Photo: Syced / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Fast internet is still spotty in parts of rural Iowa. Farms a few miles from town may have only slow DSL or a cellular hotspot.
The state’s Empower Rural Iowa broadband grants and federal money from the 2021 infrastructure law, including the BEAD program, are paying to run fiber to underserved areas. Local phone co-ops and telecom companies have used the grants to build out.
For farmers, better connections mean using precision ag tools, uploading yield maps and running a business. For families, it means kids can do homework and parents can work remotely.
Satellite internet like Starlink has filled gaps for some households while fiber construction catches up.
Curt Hanneman writes for Clarion News Online.