34 pages, This paper uses data on broadband connections and the production and sales of agricultural products to empirically estimate the impact of improved connectivity on U.S. farming outcomes. The Federal Communications Commission has detailed data on broadband subscriptions from its semi-annual Form 477 collection. The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) releases a complete census of agriculture every five years to measure agricultural activity. By pairing periodic releases of the Form 477 data collection with information on farm production expenses and crop yields from corresponding releases of the Census of Agriculture, the analysis directly evaluates the benefit of rural broadband development on the U.S. farming industry. Overall, I find evidence of crop yield improvements from increased Internet penetration rates at thresholds of 25 Megabits-per-second download and 3 Megabits-per-second upload speeds. Among the findings, doubling the number of 25+/3+ connections per 1000 households is associated with a 3.79% increase in corn yields, as measured in bushels per acre. I also find some evidence of cost savings at thresholds of 10 Megabits-per-second download and 0.768 Megabits-per-second upload speeds. Doubling the number of 10+/0.768+ connections per 1000 households is associated with a 2.41% decrease in operating expenses per farm operation. The paper also provides an introductory look at changes in the composition and speed thresholds of connectivity available for selected field crops over time.
Installing fiber-optic internet in sparsely populated places like western Kansas is extremely expensive, even with government subsidies. But some smaller, local broadband providers are finding ways to make it work where the big national companies have not.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 205 Document Number: D12621
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3 pgs, A new mapping tool shows where households have taken advantage of a federal stimulus program that defrays some of the cost of broadband for lower-income Americans.The tool, which was created through a partnership between Rural LISC and the nonpartisan nonprofit Heartland Forward, was designed to help target families that may qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) but who aren’t participating.
18 pages, Information plays a vital role in agricultural production, it is believed to be the foundation for improved agriculture. To improve agriculture, access and use of information is required. This study investigated the access to and use of library and internet by agricultural extension workers and academics as information source. Shannon and Weaver model theory was used to underpin the study. Purposive sampling was used to select three local municipalities within King Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. Quantitative technique was adopted with self-administered structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling technique was adopted to select 60 extension workers in three offices of the department of agriculture located in Eshowe, Melmoth and Ngwelezane and 9 academics from department of agriculture, University of Zululand, making the total number of the study participants sixty-nine (69). Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyse data collected. Findings revealed that internet facilities are not adequate in agricultural department offices located in the rural areas, thereby, led to minimal use of internet.; Academics regular access to internet led to regular use of internet. Also, Academics had high access to library but low use of library. Most extension workers do not have access to library, thereby, they hardly use library for information source. The study recommends that effort should be made to train, especially the old extension workers on the use of internet for agricultural information source. Use of library should be encouraged among academics and extension workers.
19pgs, New communication methods and technology continue to emerge and evolve – as do societal trends – making it paramount that Extension professionals stay abreast with the preferred communication channels of potential clientele. By being aware of clients’ preferred communication channels, Extension professionals can increase the number of participants who benefit from their work while also improving the quality of the message being delivered. The present study examined the preferred communication channels of potential Extension clientele specifically when gathering information regarding their community. Specifically, a non-probability opt-in sampling procedure was employed whereby respondent (N = 3,347) communication channel preferences were analyzed from an audience segmentation and uses and gratifications perspective. Overall, the results indicated the most effective channels through which to reach potential Extension clientele under 50 years of age is through the internet and social media, while word of mouth and newspaper are preferred channels for those 50 and over. However, the results of the study indicate there are a variety of potential communication channels with varying degrees of preference among different audiences. Using study results as a starting point to inform communication channel strategy may help to Extension professionals ensure the correct message is provided to the correct audience via the correct channel.
Online from publication via subscription., A new report focuses on internet infrastructures on tribal lands and how tribes can use it to strengthen their sovereignty.
