At the State Capitol in Austin recently, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples honored 119 Texans whose families have farmed and ranched the same lands in the Lone Star State for more than 100 years.
These rural entrepreneurs are representative of the hundreds of thousands of Texans in rural communities all across our state, families and businesses that truly represent an integral part of our Texas economy.
Yet, think how much the world has changed in 100 years for these families and their farm and ranching businesses. Cultivating a crop and moving cattle to market today relies far more heavily on technology than they just a decade ago. The need is ever increasing for greater connectivity across rural America.
And, while most Texans enjoy adequate access to the Internet, the sheer size of our state makes access to broadband a struggle still for many rural communities. The Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan set out the admirable and important goal of bringing high speed Internet to every home, ranch and small business in America.
It’s good timing, too, given recent studies that point to rural communities increasing preference and reliance on wireless devices to communicate, educate, access health care and do business.
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by Joan Engebretson, Connected Planet
Which five states have the highest percentage of wireless-only homes? The answers, which came this week from a Georgetown University Center for Business and Public Policy white paper, are not only surprising, they also have some interesting policy implications.
Topping the list were five heavily rural states, including Arkansas (35.2%), Mississippi (35.1%), Texas (32.5%), North Dakota (32.3%) and Idaho (31.7%). In comparison, the national average is 25%. This may not seem logical, considering that rural telcos have seen less landline erosion than counterparts in metro areas. But as the researchers theorized, wireless communications has the strongest appeal to people who are not “yoked to their nodes (e.g., domiciles.)” The researchers also offer an example of the theory in action, which illustrates their thinking in a more down-to-earth manner. The white paper, titled “Achieving Rural Universal Service in a Broadband Era: Emergent Evidence from the Evolution of Telephone Demand,” quotes a U.S. Cattlemen’s Association official and rural rancher:
“When I leave the house and head out to the high country, I have, at best, limited access to Internet and cellphone service. While out gathering cattle, I am virtually unreachable and must suspend all business communications…and that is not an ideal working situation.”
Read full article on Connected Planet +
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 106 projects in 38 states and one territory have been selected to receive more than $34.7 million in grants to fund educational projects and expand access to health care services in rural areas through USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program.
“Too many rural areas cannot take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by broadband for improved education and health care. These funds will help communities enhance their educational and training programs and deliver improved health care services for their residents,” Vilsack said.
“Schools and health care systems in rural Texas have increasingly tighter budgets each year. Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants are powerful tools for providing expanded educational and medical opportunities which otherwise may be unavailable to students and residents of rural communities,” said Paco Valentin, USDA Rural Development State Director of Texas. READ MORE +
By Jeremy Thacker, Communications Specialist, Connected Texas
There’s a new whirlwind of excitement energizing the Connected Texas initiative. That’s the official word after a recent meeting with the state’s Broadband Task Force members.
“Everybody involved with Connected Texas at the state level has been very supportive of our mission,” said Connected Texas Executive Director Don Shirley. “We’re anxious to see how we can work together with each of them.”
Shirley took Monday’s meeting in Austin as an opportunity to reiterate Connected Texas’ intensified focus on bringing about better broadband access, adoption, and use across the state. READ MORE +
Amarillo Globe-News
By Don Rogers
Over the past several years and more recently during the 82nd Texas legislative session, numerous voices have addressed the importance of education and its impact on the future of the Texas workforce and economy. As Texans, we need to do everything in our power to ensure the highest-quality education for our children.
With improved technology and thus increased communication, schools in rural areas of the state will be much better positioned to teach the critical skills students need to compete in a global market. The proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile will be a giant stride toward providing all Texas children quality educational opportunities and experiences. Every Texas student, whether they attend school in inner-city Dallas or in rural West Texas, should have access to modern technological
advancements, including high-speed wireless Internet.
Reas more on the Globes web site
A new report emphasizes the importance of Broadband to the state’s economy. The debut of Texas’ Business Technology Assessment was released this week by the nonprofit Connected Texas, in partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture. The Business Technology Assessment is the first of its kind.
The assessment findings begin by substantiating the belief that Texas businesses with broadband generate hundreds of thousands more in revenue than businesses without.
According to the state assessment, found at www.connectedtx.org/_research/, companies with high-speed Internet connections report making about $200,000 more per year than those without this vital resource. Furthermore, median annual revenues among broadband-connected businesses with websites are $300,000 higher than those without. READ MORE +
In 2011, the evidence is clear: the world is moving online at a pace that exceeds even the predictions of our top Internet visionaries. As everything from schoolwork to job applications to medical reports morphs from paper to “the cloud,” digital literacy is no longer an option: it’s an essential skill for anyone hoping to maximize his or her educational, earning and quality-of-life potential. In order to achieve the level of digital literacy necessary for a productive society, public access to computers and high-speed data transmission is imperative.
To bridge the digital divide, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is coordinating an ambitious initiative to reach new or underserved computer users in traditional and non-traditional settings. READ MORE +
Special to Texans for Economic Progress
Pro-Consumer Consensus Legislation Will Promote Competition and Investment While Encouraging Innovation and Job Creation
State Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas), Chairman of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, celebrates the final passage of Senate Bill 980 of the 82nd Regular Session, which includes provisions of SB 986, a package of legislation that modernizes regulations governing the state’s telecommunications industry.
“The last time we updated our telecom regulations, the iPhone didn’t exist and today there are twice as many mobile phone customers as landline subscribers,” Carona said. “We can’t afford regulations that treat the marketplace as if it was filled with Texans standing in their kitchens making calls from their rotary phones. That’s just not who we are today.” READ MORE +
The announcement by Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile and Texas-based AT&T is great news for millions of Texans who live in the rural areas of our state. Small entrepreneurs with shops, restaurants and businesses that line the courthouse square in any typical Texas small town will have even more access to all the latest technology that consumers enjoy in major urban areas such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. READ MORE +
