FCC report: Broadband linked with more productive farms

Better rural broadband availability has significant positive effects on crop yields and other measures of agricultural production, according to a new working paper by the Federal Communications Commission's Office of Economics and Analytics.

The report "drew on FCC data on broadband availability by census tract and U.S. Department of Agriculture data on agricultural productivity by county, for crops such as corn, cotton, hay, and soybeans. The report found 'statistically significant effects' of increased broadband penetration, both on lower costs and higher production for farms," Kelly Hill reports for RCR Wireless News. "The paper acknowledges that high-speed connectivity is 'considered an essential component of modern agriculture' and sought to quantify the impacts of broadband availability on farming outcomes."