No more 'second-class' treatment, rural utility providers tell Congress

CEOs from rural power providers will descend on Congress this week with the message that "second-class service" will no longer be tolerated and their customers deserve the same treatment as those who live in cities. “Rural America should expect comparable broadband speeds as urban citizens, and not subject to ‘second-class service." The utilities want key grant programs fully funded under both the Farm Bill and fiscal 2019 budget appropriations, as well as "vehicles to invest in rural broadband,” which means a combination of loans and grants. Rural utilities are nonprofit electric companies that provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.The Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service should provide grants, in combination with loans or cooperative lenders, to help overcome the “high-cost barriers” of building broadband in rural areas, according to the utility association.