DES MOINES, IOWA  — Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) president Dennis Slater issued the following statement applauding Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for singing HF 848 into law, expanding broadband internet service to Iowa businesses and families:

“The Association of Equipment Manufacturers is grateful for the leadership by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature to expand access to broadband. Fast, reliable, and accessible broadband is critical to strengthening Iowa’s economy. The digital economy is transforming how businesses operate and people connect. Access to broadband not only fuels workforce development and enhances job skills, but it is critical to the long-term competitiveness and prosperity of our industry and our country. We applaud the Governor for signing this bipartisan bill, and we encourage lawmakers to also make much needed wireless network upgrades so that farmers, ranchers, and rural communities have the connectivity they need to run modern agricultural businesses and to improve the quality of life in rural communities across America.

“Equipment manufacturers and the 132,500 men and women who build equipment in Iowa will continue to fight for a transformational investment in our nation’s infrastructure that improves the quality of life for all Americans and restores our global competitive advantage.”

Today, Gov. Reynolds signed into law HF 848, which makes it a priority to increase access and speeds for broadband in the state of Iowa and creates grants to provide broadband service with a minimum download and upload speed of 100 megabits per second to underserved regions of the state. As of 2019, 25 percent of American farms had no form of internet access and 72 percent of farms were without high-speed access. 

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AEM is the North American-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers, with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry supports 132,500 million jobs in Iowa. Equipment manufacturers also contribute $13.7 billion a year to the state economy.