LINCOLN- Nebraska farmers are starting to become more and more worried about technological advances in agriculture taking their jobs or leaving them behind. This worry is not new, but with rural broadband being a hot topic this legislative session, more people are talking about it. Right now, around 80,000 rural residents lack internet that meets the federal definition of broadband. Nebraska ranks lower than all neighboring states except Wyoming in broadband availability. Nebraska also ranks 48th in terms of access, price and speed.

Governor Ricketts is proposing spending $40 million in the next two years to help this problem and would be the first time taxpayer funds would be devoted to the effort. Many blame this issue on having to cover a lot of land with very few customers. Measures to ensure more accountability have been taken but it is still not enough.

Chair of the legislative committee working on increasing broadband coverage, Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson says it is an expensive and complicated process that will take time.

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