AGRICULTURE BROADBAND COALITION CO-CHAIR AEM LEADS RURAL BROADBAND STAKEHOLDERS IN APPLAUDING PRECISION AG FUNDING
As co-chair of the Agriculture Broadband Coalition (ABC), the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) issued the following statement after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced the establishment of the 5G Fund, directing $9 billion to rural broadband support, with $1 billion dedicated to precision agriculture.
“The Agriculture Broadband Coalition applauds Chairman Pai’s continued efforts to bring advanced wireless services to rural America by establishing the new 5G fund. The ABC enthusiastically welcomes the Chairman’s recognition that America’s farmers and ranchers have unique wireless connectivity needs and the plan to set aside at least $ 1 billion of the new fund to promote precision agriculture. Expanded deployment of a full range of advanced mobile and fixed broadband technologies in rural areas, including 5G, is key to supporting precision agriculture technologies on croplands and ranchlands and essential for a vibrant rural America.”
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 1.3 million jobs in the U.S., and 149,000 more in Canada. Equipment manufacturers also contribute $188 billion combined to the U.S. and Canadian economies. AEM is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2019.