I am a fifth-generation farmer from Henderson, Neb., who grew up helping milk cows, feed pigs, gather eggs and harvest corn along with my five brothers and one sister. I married my high school sweetheart, Nancy, and soon was on the farm.

My dad somehow started all of us boys farming. Today, I farm with my son-in-law and daughter who will be taking over the farm upon my retirement. At one point, I had children with grandkids living on the East Coast and the West Coast. All but one have since returned to Nebraska — the good life.

Broadband solutions

Since the 2017 legislative session, I have served as chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. During this time, one of the biggest issues before our committee has been broadband expansion. Thousands of households in greater Nebraska still do not have access to basic broadband connectivity, which is generally recognized as 25 mbps download speeds, 3 mbps upload speed (25/3).

While 25/3 is still the federal definition of “broadband,” this speed should be seen as a minimum. I recognize that some households need much faster speeds. Various federal programs have thrown money at the problem, but they have often lacked accountability and oversight. At times, grants were awarded to companies that overpromised and underperformed, leaving chunks of rural Nebraska unconnected.

While broadband expansion has been an ongoing issue, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a new sense of urgency to the problem. For the first time, many households had people working from home, attending virtual classes and relying on telehealth to visit the doctor.

A clear line could be drawn between the haves and the have-nots. We refer to this gap between the connected and unconnected as the “digital divide.” One of my goals for this past legislative session was to work on bridging the digital divide.

Legislation

To this end, I introduced LB388, the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act. The bill was brought in partnership with the speaker of the Legislature, Mike Hilgers, and Gov. Pete Ricketts and passed unanimously this May. It provides for $40 million in grants over the next two years for broadband expansion projects. This is the first time Nebraska General Funds money has been directly used for broadband grants.

These grants will allow for public-private partnerships between local political subdivisions, such as cities and counties, and broadband providers, which should provide for more local input. The grants will require projects to be built at speeds of 100/100, which will meet and exceed nearly every current household need, and require providers to pay back the grant money if their completed projects can’t pass speed tests.

Tests will be administered by the Nebraska Public Service Commission, which should help avoid problems associated with the top-down, hands-off approach that we have sometimes seen at the federal level. Finally, the grants will be targeted at areas of greatest need — households lacking speeds of at least 25/3.

I am optimistic that the Broadband Bridge Program, along with the incoming wave of federal money, will go a long way toward bridging the digital divide. This is one of the keys to keeping rural Nebraska attractive to young working people and keeping our small towns and schools viable for years to come.

Friesen is a state senator from the 34th District and a graduate of LEAD Class 27.