EXPANDING BROADBAND ACCESS, THE COOPERATIVE WAY

s a cooperative system, we know firsthand that expanded access to high-speed internet is a critical lifeline for health, education and economic growth. It’s also integral to driving the adoption of tools needed to support profitable and sustainable food production. Since its launch in 2019, the American Connection Project has continued to make incredible strides in closing the digital divide for rural communities.

In 2022, we launched our first American Connection Community in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In partnership with Agtegra and the Center on Rural Innovation, Aberdeen was offered several months of strategic planning and engagement to help the city create innovation hubs, assist with applications for state and federal funding and gain access to digital skills and tools. We also partnered with retail-owner Ceres Solutions to use improved connectivity to establish an Innovation Hub where they test new on-farm technologies such as drones and soil sensors.

The American Connection Project fuels change through the power of partnership, with so many great organizations combining their size, scale and resources to make a difference. Better connectivity in communities is critical for education, economic competitiveness, accessible health care and for our collective future—and we’re just getting started.”