March 8, 2019
NASHVILLE, Tenn (RFD-TV) Rural electric co-op leaders are in DC this week to make their case for additional funding to help ‘build out’ the rural broadband infrastructure. RFD-TV’s Sarah Mock reports. Electric co-ops are economic powerhouses in rural America. “We’re owned by our members. That makes us a great economic engine. Being rural America’s largest asset means that’s an asset that they can leverage and have.” Despite a new report finding that electric co-ops support over 600,000 jobs nationally and contribute $88 billion to the us economy, experts say that in low density rural areas, co-ops looking to invest in expanding broadband coverage for their members still tend to be 10-20% short on capital. The USDA, through it’s $600 million “Reconnect program,” aims to help.