President's Iowa Stop Spotlights Broadband as a Major Key to Economic Development
(August 17, 2011) - President Obama’s three-day bus tour through a handful of Midwest states is now complete. On Tuesday, the President hosted the Rural Economic Forum at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta. That’s where he addressed local farmers, small business owners, private sector leaders, rural organizations, and government officials about ideas and initiatives to promote economic growth, accelerate hiring, and spur innovation in rural communities nationwide.
During the town hall style session, the President spoke directly about goals to strengthen the economy. One major goal of his administration is the modernizing of infrastructure by providing broadband access to 10 million Americans. Broadband access is a major key to expanding educational opportunities for students in rural areas as well as providing affordable and accessible health care.
In a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency points to the positive long term impact saying, “These unparalleled rural investments will help ensure that America's rural communities are repopulating, self-sustaining and thriving economically.”