Trump’s Rural Broadband Initiative Avoids Universal Service Controversies

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Joan Engebretson unpacks the reality and the hype of Trump’s rural broadband announcement. She also shows how Trump carefully avoided reference to broadband funding. Trump rural broadband initiatives include two executive orders aimed at eliminating regulatory deployment

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Joan Engebretson unpacks the reality and the hype of Trump’s rural broadband announcement. She also shows how Trump carefully avoided reference to broadband funding.

Trump rural broadband initiatives include two executive orders aimed at eliminating regulatory deployment barriers. But if you were hoping to hear something about funding or addressing the USF budget shortfall, you’ll be disappointed. | From Telecompetitor

President Donald Trump’s address about economic issues facing rural America at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention yesterday touched on Trump rural broadband initiatives. But although Trump talked about the importance of broadband to the rural economy and signed two executive orders aimed at facilitating rural broadband deployment, I came away asking ‘where the beef’ was.

Trump Rural Broadband Initiatives
Rural broadband comprised a small portion of Trump’s address yesterday. In his comments, he referenced a new report from his Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity, noting that the report found that “broadband internet access is an issue of vital concern to [rural] communities and businesses.”