President Signs Rural Broadband Executive Order In Nashville

An executive order by President Donald Trump declares the executive branch will “use all viable tools” to create affordable, reliable broadband in rural America.

“We at TTA are grateful to the president for his ongoing attention to the need for broadband,” says Levoy Knowles, TTA executive director. “Our members — the telecom co-ops and companies — provide high-speed broadband across rural Tennessee, and we plan to invest nearly a quarter of a billion dollars by the end of 2019 in fiber networks across Tennessee.”

Trump also spoke in Nashville in January at a meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

“Tennessee Republicans stand with President Trump and his commitment to farmers and rural communities across Tennessee,” Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said in a news release after Trump’s visit.

Tennessee lawmakers have also emphasized the importance of fast, affordable broadband.

The Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act provides $45 million over three years in grants and tax credits broadband available to unserved homes and businesses. The president’s executive order enforces important steps emphasized by Gov. Bill Haslam.