Several Democratic presidential candidates pledge billions of dollars to expand high speed internet access.
According to Politico, campaign promises include: $85 billion dollar investment from Senator Elizabeth Warren, $80 billion dollars from South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and $20 billion from former Vice President, Joe Biden. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker are in favor of municipal internet service and Texas Democrat, Beto O’Rourke, says farmers and ranchers need to be online.
According to a recent USDA report, 50 percent of America’s farmers conduct business online. That’s up 13 percent from 2014. However, 25 percent of U.S. farm operations don’t have internet access - down from 27 percent in 2017. Satellite, DSL, and Mobile are the most popular internet sources for rural residents.
