Rural Connectivity

Meet AGwagon: The American Truck Built By Farmers, For Farmers

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 21:06:19 GMT

There are many distinct varieties of trucks — fire trucks, garbage trucks, tow trucks and cement trucks, for example — but oddly enough, there has never been a pickup truck 100% purposely-built for farmers and ranchers, until now.

Certified Agriculture Dealerships (CAD) has teamed up with Fox Factory Performance Vehicles to create AGwagon pickup truck aftermarket kits. The kits convert off-the-factory-line trucks into rugged and tough, back 40 devouring, farm equipment hauling beasts.

Before the AGwagon, most farmers upgraded and ruggedized trucks with cash out-of-pocket. That can get expensive. Original equipment manufacturer-installed front ends, for example, are not built to withstand the pounding that driving fields and hauling equipment and other heavy loads everyday places on a pickup. Many farmers end up replacing a farm truck’s worn out front end every other year or so, according to CAD reps.

AGwagon offers Ultra HD front bumper with winch mount and grille protection, along with premium fog lights and a front bumper light cannon upgrade.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Now, farmers can finance and order a purposely built AGwagon through CAD’s 200-plus dealer network, and it shows up ready to take an absolute pounding from day one, from the beefed up front end to the ultra-heavy-duty back bumper.

There are several pre-configured options and features to choose from, starting at $30,000 for a basic tier of upgrades and topping out at around $50,000 for the top-of-the-line package. Farmers can also order ala carte to pick and choose the features that best fit their intended use.

The kits are brand agnostic (it just needs to be a new domestic truck and over half a ton) and assembled in the USA at Fox Factories’ Trussville, Ala., plant.

The AGwagon kits were built off feedback from a panel of 14 farmers and ranchers. The features that made the final cut are mainly centered around making trucks more durable and rugged, as well as adding in high performance and comfort features. Notably, there is an option to install a ruggedized Starlink Internet terminal on top of the cab for on-the-go connectivity, and there is an integrated two-way radio system available.

“What CAD and Fox Factory were able to do with AGwagon is what I personally don’t see enough of in the ag sector, and that is going to the farmers first, and to the ranchers first, and finding out from them what they need for a pickup truck to be more functional,” says farmer Jeff O’Connor.

O’Connor raises soybeans in northeast Illinois (Kankakee to be exact) and he participated in the farmer panel. Having reviewed the first AGwagon prototype, O’Connor likes the stepped-up durability, internet connectivity and LED lighting add-ons that will help farmers working long days.

“I’ve still got a 79-year-old dad — who’s soon to be 80 — helping me,” O’Connor states. “I’m upgrading lights in our shed just so it has better lighting for safety. You hate to lose skilled labor because they can’t see where their feet are going. So I am glad to see they really made [lighting] a major, major part of the truck and its ability to serve the operator.”

CAD hosted an unveiling of its prototype model, built onto a Ford Super Duty pickup, in Columbus, Ohio, last week. Speaking to reporters, CEO Pat Driscoll highlighted how the company worked alongside farmers to bring their feedback to life.

“They said ‘give me a heavy-duty front end that will hold up for years’, and that’s what we have here,” he says. “Easy bed access was also at the top of the list. That’s why you see the fold-away steps on the side, because none of us are getting younger and we need a little help. One of the other things they wanted was high intensity, 360-degree LED lighting because work doesn’t stop when it’s dark. This truck gives you 360-degrees of LED lighting for as long as you need it.”

For those curious, the AGwagon name was picked because the truck “captures the defining characteristics of the original AGwagon aerial application plane — reliability, longevity and capability,” Driscoll says.

Special financing is available, and all AGwagons include a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty on all installed components. Learn more about the AGwagon’s features and multiple upgrade packages at agwagon.com .

The AGwagon will only be available from Certified Agriculture Dealerships. To locate your nearest CAD, head over to AgTruckTrader.com .

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Space Weather: Start Planning Today for Tomorrow’s GPS Outage

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:22:35 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

It’s a simple question, but one that Dr. Terri Griffin, Kansas State University, suspects many farmers would have a hard time answering “Yes” to: Can you plant or harvest a crop without GPS?

Instances of space weather , or solar flare events, can and often do cause GPS failures. Griffin says a lot of important, powerful and smart people in world government are concerned about these events becoming more commonplace.

Looking at the production cycle specifically, such an event occurring in January is probably not a big deal to farmers as the vast majority aren’t planting or harvesting during that time. But, if one of these “atmospheric scintillations” were to occur during the busy spring planting or fall harvest season?

“With today’s connected equipment you can’t plant without GPS lock, which requires getting connection with a minimum of four satellites, the seeds won’t drop,” he says. “So, the question becomes, do we wait it out? Or do we keep an old 6-row ‘dumb planter’ with row markers for just these instances?”

Griffin has been monitoring the situation from his Kansas State University lab in Manhattan for some time now. He says this summer’s Northern Lights event over North America was a geomagnetic storm that did have a temporary negative effect on GPS signals.

Not to mention, there are warnings abound from government agencies that predict such things (NOAA, NASA, etc.) that the world should expect a widespread outage at some point during Solar Cycle 25 – which is the cycle we’re in currently.

“We are approaching solar max in the next six months to a year,” Griffin says. “I am fully expecting to have GPS blackouts at some point soon at this latitude. Think about how we use GPS – the airline industry, for one, is paying a lot of attention to this, as they should be.”

Farmers could conceivably manage a widespread GPS outage by investing in a local RTK network. Griffin says RTK is great in that it is a set, earthly signal, and you can basically create your own local positioning system with three or more ground stations. It is an expensive backup plan, though, he admits.

Griffin has three recommendations for farmers in the field when a previously robust GPS signal proves suddenly suspect:

1.) Don’t panic. Instead, wait it out and be patient. Most GPS outages are only temporary. Griffin says an R2 intensity event in space would result in just a one-hour outage, but a more robust R4 would likely mean an entire week without GPS. “That could get really tough if you’re in the middle of planting or harvesting,” he admits, adding that many sprayers also require GPS connection.

2.) Don’t blame your equipment dealer. It’s likely not their fault, and they might not even be aware there is a regional outage. Instead, give your sales rep a quick call or text to see if there is an outage within their systems.

3.) Check NOAA’s Planetary K Index. You can even sign up for email alerts to let you know if you’re in the midst of one of these space weather induced outages.

“Can you legislate (against) sunspots,” Griffin adds. “I mean, someone will try to, but that’s probably not possible. What will we do when these events occur?”

More Smart Farming Week Content

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10 Tips to Shorten Your Cover Crop Learning Curve

John Deere, SpaceX Announce Starlink Deal

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 19:08:32 GMT

Deere & Company announced an agreement with SpaceX to provide Starlink network satellite communications (SATCOM) service to farmers. Utilizing the Starlink network, this solution will allow farmers facing rural connectivity challenges to fully leverage precision agriculture technologies.

“The value of connectivity to farmers is broader than any single task or action. Connectivity unlocks vast opportunities that were previously limited or unavailable,” said Aaron Wetzel, VP of production and precision ag production systems.

The SATCOM solution will connect both new and existing machines through satellite internet service and ruggedized satellite terminals. This will enable autonomy, real-time data sharing, remote diagnostics, enhanced self-repair solutions, and machine-to-machine communication, all of which help farmers work more efficiently while minimizing downtime, according to John Deere.

“We are bringing satellite communications service to the farm at scale so farmers with cellular coverage challenges can maximize the value of connectivity to their operations,” said Jahmy Hindman, senior VP & CTO.

He adds that the SpaceX partnership “unlocks the John Deere tech stack so every farmer can fully utilize their current precision agriculture technology in addition to the new innovative solutions they will deploy in the future.”

But, by adding a third-party telematics solution into the data ecosystem, many online are wondering who controls the data (and access to it) as it passes through the Starlink system on its way to or from the Operations Center?

John Deere users with those concerns can rest assured that “we don’t anticipate any changes there, the customer still controls it,” said Mike Kool, senior product manager - connected fleets.

Kool also shared that John Deere has been working on its fleet connectivity project for the last 18-24 months. Starlink’s Leo constellation of low-orbit satelittes delivered the “high bandwidth and low latency” performance Deere was seeking.

“This solution fits our customer needs today and it also allows them to grow in the future,” said Kool. “The way I like to think about it is we’re giving our customers their time back, giving them more time to do the things they love to do. They have a very important job in feeding and clothing the world, and doing so on less arable land today. I believe wholeheartedly this will further unlock the power of our tech stack.”

Deere has yet to outline how the new Starlink features will be priced. Kool said those details are still in the works, so stay tuned.

To activate the Starlink solution, John Deere dealers will install a ruggedized Starlink terminal on compatible machines, along with a 4G LTE JDLink modem to connect the machine to the John Deere Operations Center.

The service will initially be available through a limited release in the United States and Brazil starting in the second half of 2024, according to the company.

New Legislation Looks To Connect Farmland And Ranchland To Broadband

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 15:39:11 GMT

U.S. growers and livestock producers increasingly rely on the internet across the farm and ranch, yet many still don’t have access to it. A report USDA released this past August, “ Technology Use, Farm Computer Usage and Ownership, ” found that 15 percent of farms and ranches have no access to the internet today.

New legislation announced Nov. 1 looks to change that by expanding high-speed broadband internet access across rural America.

Two members of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-R) and Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo (CO-D), introduced the legislation called “Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments (Last Acre) Act,” within the

USDA’s Office of Rural Development.
The Last Acre Act would create a new competitive grant and loan program at USDA to expand high-speed broadband internet access across eligible farmland, ranchland, and farm sites.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently defines minimum broadband internet service as internet access with a minimum of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed and upload speeds of 3 Mbps or more.

One generally accepted rule of thumb is that anything above 100 Mbps is considered “fast” internet because it can connect multiple devices at once.

How Farmers Connect
In its Technology Use research, USDA found 51 percent of internet-connected farms utilize a broadband connection while 75 percent of internet-connected farms have access through a cellular data plan. Additionally, 69 percent of farms have a desktop or laptop computer while 82 percent of farms had a smart phone.

(Farm Journal)

The Last Acre Act is among the latest moves by legislators to address the digital divide between urban and rural America.

“As a farmer, I understand the important role precision ag technology plays in increasing production and maximizing efficiency. Yet, many rural areas of southern Minnesota and across the country don’t have reliable access to the wireless connectivity needed in order to utilize these techniques,” said Rep. Finstad, in a news release.

“The Last Acre Act will help drive agricultural innovation into the 21st century by bringing the latest farming technology and tools to every corner of farm country, giving farmers and ranchers – in even the most remote areas – greater ability to adopt precision ag applications and ensure optimal efficiency in their operations,” added Finstad.

The USDA Technology Use report released in August shows that 32 percent of farms used the internet to purchase agricultural inputs this year, which was an increase of 3 percent from 2021.

“Additionally, 23 percent of farms used the internet to market agricultural activities, which was an increase of 2 percent from 2021,” the USDA said. “Farms which conducted business with non-agricultural websites in 2023 increased by 2 percent to 49 percent.”

Precision Agriculture Needs
Increasingly, legislators and broadband providers have fine-tuned how they look at the internet needs of rural America, according to Mitchell Bailey, CEO for GRM Networks, a member-owned cooperative that supplies broadband and other communication services to residents in parts of northern Missouri and southern Iowa.

“The terminology used has changed from ‘fiber to the premise,’ which focused on connecting homes to more of a focus on ‘fiber to the acre,’ because we understand the need to make sure we’re connecting every acre of farmland to advanced technology,” Bailey told Farm Journal.

“In an ever-changing marketplace, it is imperative that corn farmers use the latest in precision agriculture technology to remain competitive and sustainable, and this is only possible through access to high-speed broadband,” added Harold Wolle, National Corn Growers Association president.

The Last Acre Act is endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Competitive Carriers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Farmers Union, John Deere, Ethos Connected, and Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.

Monthly Average Costs
As part of its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, the Biden administration committed $65 billion to help ensure that every American has access to affordable internet service.

The price of internet service ranges widely across the U.S., from $20 to well over $100 a month.

The price consumers pay depends on a range of factors, including internet speed, the type of connection, and what’s available in a specific area.

A Forbes survey of 37 internet service provides (ISPs) across the U.S. earlier this year found consumers paid an average cost of $65 a month. That’s in line with recent findings by Consumer Reports , which found in 2022 the median monthly internet cost was $74.99.

How States Stack Up
A February report from BroadbandNow Research , a firm that conducts comparisons on internet companies using data from the FCC and internet providers, identified what it calls the “best and worst states” for broadband internet service in the U.S. Its considerations were based on two factors – overall coverage and quality of connections.

The report ranked Maryland as the best overall state for broadband internet, followed by New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Washington. The rankings considered overall access to broadband, access to low-cost broadband, download and upload speeds, and access to fiber-optic service.

At the other end of the spectrum, in the worst category, West Virginia came in last.

West Virginia was followed in the report by Alaska, Mississippi, Arkansas and Vermont. All five states at the bottom scored a zero on internet quality, or latency, which is the time it takes information to go from one source to another.

There were 16 states in the report that scored a zero in the quality category, including North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The state with the slowest average download speed was Kansas, followed by Alaska and South Carolina.

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Broadband Bill Would Push Internet to Every “Last Acre” in Rural America

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 20:53:15 GMT

USDA’s Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report revealed that in 2022, roughly 18% of U.S. farms don’t have access to the internet. While efforts to link the broadband gaps have been put in motion, no piece of legislation addresses every corner of the U.S.

Current rural development programs focus on connecting networks to rural households and businesses—a “last mile” approach. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) rolled out the LAST ACRE Act on the Senate floor this week, with the hopes of pushing connectivity to every U.S. farm in a “last acre” approach.

“Producers looking to adopt precision ag technologies need network connectivity that extends far past their residences. They need to be able to make real-time decisions that increase yields and employ resources more efficiently. Our LAST ACRE Act will ensure USDA has the strategy and resources needed to support last acre connectivity,” said Fischer.

If passed, the LAST ACRE Act would:
• Establish an initial bid application for internet access across farms and ranches
• Create a system for connectivity devices to be placed on farm sites, structures and machinery
• Generate a competitive bidding process for service providers
• Direct USDA to include Census of Ag questions about broadband

Kip Eideberg, Ag Equipment Manufacturer’s senior vice president of government and industry relations, echoed Fischer’s comments, saying the act would ensure all aspects of rural America are connected, “from the hospital to the school and from the farmhouse to the field.”

A comprehensive breakdown of the LAST ACRE Act can be found here .

What's in it for Ag in the New Spending Bill?

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 03:26:54 GMT

The House on Friday averted a government shutdown by voting 225 to 201 in favor of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The $1.7 trillion omnibus bill includes 12 separate bills that cover everything from natural disasters to military pay to foreign aid.

Sanford Bishop Jr., ag, rural development and food and drug administration subcommittee chairman, says the bill is “crucial” to America’s economic success.

“These federal programs make our country a world leader in agriculture, ensure that we have safe, abundant food and medicine to lead healthy lives, support America’s farmers and ranchers, and provide Americans with the materials that clothe us and build our communities,” Bishop says.

Here are highlights of the key ag-sector funding from the omnibus:

Insurance

• Directs USDA to index all administrative and operating expense in the crop insurance program for inflation.

Research

• Agricultural research: Ag research funding will increase by $175 million to $3.45 billion in 2023, including monies for Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

Conservation

• Includes the SUSTAINS Act, which allows corporations and other private entities to contribute funding for conservation projects and authorize USDA to match the donations.

• Reauthorizes the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act, which imposes fees for maintenance and registration of active ingredients. It boosts registration and maintenance fees 30% and allows EPA to raise fees by 5% in 2024 and 2026.

Infrastructure

• $1.48 billion is included on top of annual appropriations funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to make emergency repairs and navigation improvements needed after extreme weather events, including low water on the Mississippi River.

“One of the best returns on investment is when we pump money into our infrastructure, especially the great waterway system,” Jim Wiesemeyer, ProFarmer policy analyst told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory. “This town [Washington, D.C.] has had a mindset change on pumping more money, not only in the new projects, but restoring some of the water transportation endeavors of the past. It’s good news.”

Relief Aid

• $3.7 billion in farm disaster aid, to cover eligible 2022 crop and livestock losses, with $494.5 million to be used for livestock losses due to drought or wildfires, as part of overall $40.6 billion for disasters.

• Requires USDA to make a one-time payment to each rice producer on a U.S. farm in the 2022 crop year. USDA will determine payment rates based on yield history and acreage.

• Authorizes $100 million for the USDA to make pandemic assistance payments to cotton merchandisers that purchased cotton from a U.S. producer from March 1, 2020, through the measure’s enactment date.

• $25 million for specialty crop equitable relief.

Broadband

• USDA’s ReConnect loan and grant program for rural broadband will get $348 million for fiscal 2023.

Food Assistance

• Make permanent a summer EBT (food stamp) program to provide up to $40 a month per child. It allows grab-and-go or home delivery of meals to kids in rural areas as an alternative to meals in group settings Any summer meals benefits issued to a household in the summer of 2023 couldn’t exceed $120 per child. USDA will be required to establish a program beginning in the summer of 2024 and annually thereafter to issue EBT benefits to eligible households to ensure continued access to food when school isn’t in session in the summer.

• Aid for Food for Peace ($1.8 billion) and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education ($248 million) programs.

Carbon

• Includes the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which authorizes USDA to oversee the registration of farm technical advisers and carbon-credit verification services

Wiesemeyer says the swift passage of the spending package signals the coming farm bill might be easier to pass than some had previously thought, despite the new congress moving in next week.

“Congress put more than a few dollars in this for farm bill-related topics, especially food stamps and some of the climate change funding,” he says. “I think this really increases the odds that both the Senate and the house should get a new farm bill done in 2023.”

The bill will now move to President Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it this week.

More on policy :

4 Ways to Advocate for Ag in the New Farm Bill
U.S. Defense Spending Bill Leads to China Taking Aim at Taiwan

John Phipps: A Legitimate Broadband Solution

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Starlink works. After a month of using the satellite-based broadband system, I can almost say it was worth the 20-month wait. Almost.

It will take time to get over the fact that despite being an early subscriber, neighbors around me signed up and got their equipment in a few weeks or even days.

A Quantum Leap

At the risk of sounding like an endorsement, for those truly rural (which I define as over 20 miles to a McDonald’s or Walmart), the ability to have something better than not-quite-enough-to-stream-television finally allows us to experience what is commonplace for most Am’'ericans.

Many of you might want hard numbers, but I’ve stopped checking speed tests obsessively. Readings are erratic to the point of humorous.

But, the performance on our computers and television is a quantum leap forward from the barely adequate internet we have endured and the fiber optic that will never pass our door.

We have experienced no buffering delays. We can download video in minutes not hours. Even graphic-heavy web pages open quickly. My uploading speeds have been unimpressive, but sufficient.

Installation is as close to foolproof as possible, unless you mount on a roof, at which point the working-at-a-height syndrome slowed me down.

With a smartphone and app, you can be up and running in minutes, but you might want to fiddle with your router’s location.

Three significant downsides exist:

1. Cost

Equipment is $600, not including a roof mount ($50), and monthly fees just bumped up to $110.

2. Latency (the time for a signal to roundtrip).

I’m not sure serious gamers will find Starlink adequate, although more satellites constantly improve performance.

3. Elon Musk

As much as I appreciate his genius, I am really tired of him (even as I send him my money).

Life-Enhancing Value

While streaming sports and movies will rule media attention, it overlooks deeper values of good broadband.

My neighbors have a son who helps care for them, enduring a 120-mile round trip each visit. His job as a senior programmer is now fully remote thanks to COVID-19, but until Starlink he could not work at his parents’ home.

Starlink eased an ever more common burden. Workable connection to the information universe adds life-enhancing value to rural residents far beyond entertainment.

The Connected Future

I knew when I watched a SpaceX rocket land on a barge and then woke at dawn to look for a satellite string last year, this was a future for which I had been hoping.

Starlink might be a fit for any user, but deep in the boonies it’s a near miracle.

More on rural connectivity:

Rep. G.T. Thompson Lists His 3 Farm Bill Objectives
Research in Ag-Tech Top-Of-Mind in Farm Bill Hearing

Rep. G.T. Thompson Lists His 3 Farm Bill Objectives

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 23:44:15 GMT

GOP took the House by a slim margin last week, leading to a divided government as Democrats won majority in the Senate.

Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) is gearing up to replace Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) as the House Ag Committee chairman in Jan. With his new title in tow, Thompson will be working alongside current Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to finalize the passage of a farm bill in 2023.

As the New Year approaches, Thompson shared his highest priority farm bill objectives in a recent episode of AgriTalk with Host Chip Flory:

1. Internet Access

Signed into action in November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dedicated $759 million to deploy the ReConnect rural broadband program. The program aims to provide internet access to rural areas and “build brighter futures”, according to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Thompson, however, isn’t convinced this funding will fill the broadband void and plans to make it a legislative priority.

“Rural broadband is still the No. 1 needed utility that we have infrastructure needs for in this country,” Thompson says. “The only option to change that need is to do our jobs.”

Thompson is carrying that same “get it done” attitude into the insurance front.

2. Crop Insurance

Crop insurance can use some improvements in 2023, according to Thompson. He says this is an ongoing issue that can’t wait another five years.

“What are we supposed to do with reference prices and no margins in Title 1?” Thompson says. “We have to protect crop insurance by learning from our disaster experiences and improve it.”

While Thompson says time is of the essence in crop insurance, some feel time is the main factor underlining the whole farm bill due to the divided government.

3. Passage

Jim Wiesemeyer, Pro Farmer policy analyst, says there’s speculation the House will run out of time on the farm bill in 2023, because of the need for hearings and to gear up new members and staff on the “complexities” of farm policy.

When asked about timelines and expirations, Thompson reiterated the committee will need to work in a “very intense” way in order to prevent the legislation from expiring and “kicking the can down the road.” To avoid any delays, Thompson reiterated his urgency and drive for bipartisanship is his “commitment.”

According to Wiesemeyer, Thompson will likely meet this goal by pushing farm bill action and policy changes the moment offices change hands in January.

More on farm bill 2023:

Impact of the Elections on Farm Bill 2023
‘Red Wave’ of Voters Did Not Happen: Why Were Poll Predictions So Far Off the Mark?
As Hearings for the Farm Bill Ratchet Up, You can Do 3 Things to Help Agriculture

Check Out Your High-Speed Internet Options

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 04:42:00 GMT

High-speed internet service in the U.S. is a classic case of the haves and the have nots.

In heavily populated states and metropolitan areas, people have access to 4G or 5G technology.

But that’s not the case in many rural parts of the country. At least 14 million farmers, ranchers and residents in rural America don’t have access to broadband service, according to the 2018 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Broadband Deployment Report. (The FCC defines broadband internet service as a speed of at least 25 megabits per second [Mbps] download and 3 Mbps upload.)

The main issue is most internet service providers don’t see a sufficient return on their investment to offer broadband in regions with a low population.

Speed, Availability, Cost

Slow internet service can be a serious problem, as it can negatively affect a population’s quality of health care, education and even its financial well-being, says Victoria Smith, staff researcher for SatelliteInternet.com .

“Be informed about what’s available in your area and what’s the best plan for you,” she says.

“Satellite and DSL (digital subscriber line) are perhaps some of your best options in terms of availability. Satellites can beam down an internet connection to pretty much anywhere, and DSL hooks up to your existing phone lines,” she adds.

Most people will probably only want DSL if the alternative is dial-up service. DSL is faster than dial-up, and you usually have a choice of price plans based on speed.

At the other end of the spectrum is satellite service. It is available through Viasat and HughesNet. Monthly costs range between $50 and $150, depending on the service.

To check your internet options, visit broadbandnow.com .

To find the 10 fastest and slowest cities for rural internet and the pros and cons of various service providers, visit: AgWeb.com/high-speed-internet