• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Monday, May 23, 2022
The Iowa Torch
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
The Iowa Torch
The Iowa Torch
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Jones: Building Broadband

Megan Jones: Many Iowans, especially in rural areas, still do not have access to broadband internet. We have worked over the last year to close the gap.

Megan JonesbyMegan Jones
December 3, 2020
in Opinion
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Jones: Building Broadband

Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels

We have learned a lot about our limits, our weaknesses, and our resolve this year. One of the weaknesses we experienced was our access to broadband services. Over the last year, many people have seen their work, school, shopping and other things move online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ready or not the increased use of broadband internet is here to stay.

RELATED POSTS

Ernst: Democrats’ Strange Multiverse of Madness

Grassley: Democrats are deepening the political divide

Vander Hart: How can we trust Liz Mathis?

Many Iowans, especially in rural areas, still do not have access to broadband internet. We have worked on a number of ways over the last year to close the gap of Iowans without access to broadband internet. These proposals included: reducing regulations, encouraging economic development, increasing funding, and through smarter spending.

Reducing Regulations

To reduce the regulatory burden, we looked to strengthen Iowa’s “dig once” policy. A “dig once” policy requires the inclusion of broadband conduit (pipes which can be used to easily run fiber-optic communications cable) in the right of way during a road construction project.

Economic Development

There are various certifications that communities can seek to increase broadband and new people to their communities. Everyone likes certainty, this includes businesses looking to grow and expand. Communities will be able to receive the broadband forward designation by meeting criteria set by the IEDA.

“Broadband Forward”: Receiving this certification means communities are focused on developing broadband infrastructure and internet access.

“Telecommuter Forward”: This designation would encourage political subdivisions to support and promote the availability of telecommuting. The city must meet requirements set by the IEDA to receive the designation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Increasing Funding

At the end of October, Governor Reynolds announced a new round of grants to expand broadband access. The $5 million dollars in additional broadband grants is the latest in a series of Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grants to give more Iowans access to critical broadband infrastructure.

According to the Governor’s office, the first Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grants were made in 2018. To date, more than 61,000 homes, schools, and businesses are slated to get access to broadband service in rural Iowa. With matching funds from the Empower Rural Iowa and CARES funded grants, the total infrastructure investment in Iowa comes to more than $121 million dollars and is growing with this latest round of broadband grants.

Smarter Spending

Last session, I championed a language to increase funding to broadband grants. This bill subtracted amount of grant provided to a communications service provider from income. Entities were selected for government grants to buildout broadband, but then that grant money was taxable income. The government was deploying money to execute a task, but then taxing them to do it. We changed that.

This is not the end of the story. There is still much work to do. And I look forward to continuing to tackle this issue in upcoming legislative session.

Tags: broadband accessEmpower Rural IowaIowa House of Representativesrural Iowa
ShareTweetShare
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Reynolds Announces Members of New Computer Science Work Group

Next Post

Ernst: Operation Warp Speed Demonstrates the Best of American Innovation

Megan Jones

Megan Jones

State Rep. Megan Jones, R-Sioux Rapids, represents Iowa House District 2.

Related Posts

Reynolds says she will sign biofuels bill
State Government

Reynolds says she will sign biofuels bill

April 27, 2022
Holt: Education, Free Speech & Justice for All
Opinion

Holt: Funding students or institutions?

April 8, 2022
State Rep. Brooke Boden, R-Indianola, introducing an amendment to the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund Budget on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
State Government

The Iowa House approves aid for Knoxville rehabilitation efforts

April 7, 2022
Iowa Elected Officials Demand EPA Action on Biofuels
Federal Government

Iowa elected officials urge EPA to allow year-round E15 sales

April 5, 2022
Windschitl: Protecting Iowans’ Second Amendment Rights
Opinion

Windschitl: Education transparency matters

March 31, 2022
State Government

Iowa House passes bill requiring parental access to K-12 instructional materials

March 30, 2022
Next Post
Ernst: Operation Warp Speed Demonstrates the Best of American Innovation

Ernst: Operation Warp Speed Demonstrates the Best of American Innovation

Axne Presses Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Leftover CARES Act Funds

Axne Presses Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Leftover CARES Act Funds

Sign-Up For Our Daily Updates

Get The Iowa Torch right in your inbox!

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Recommended Articles

Iowa Experiences $4.9 Million Loss In Retail Sales Tax During COVID-19

Study Ranks Iowa First in the Nation for Fastest COVID-19 Recovery

June 10, 2021
Iowa House Approves Anti-COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Bill

Iowa House Approves Anti-COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Bill

April 30, 2021

Whitver Announces New Committee Chairs for 2022 Session

December 10, 2021

Popular Stories

  • architecture building city facade

    Five Iowa House Republicans took money from teachers’ union PAC

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reynolds endorses two pro-school choice Iowa House candidates

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Bird raises $300k for Attorney General campaign in 2022

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Vander Hart: How can we trust Liz Mathis?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Grassley: Democrats are deepening the political divide

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

The Iowa Torch

The Iowa Torch​ is a for-profit, news organization that focuses on political news as it relates to Iowans

Categories

  • Education
  • Federal Government
  • Iowa History
  • Local Government
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • State Government
  • Uncategorized

Newsletter

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.