Tractor Supply Joining Program to Help Rural Broadband

[Sparrowette]

Many times on CoTH, I read posts from people who live “way out there” who complain about lack of good internet connectivity. Tractor Supply is trying to help. (I have no connection to TS except as a {very} small shareholder and as a customer.)

I hope putting this here is okay. If not, please advise. Thanks.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/cm…W+GLOBAL-_-App

[I]"HELP US CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Now through the end of the year, we’re donating $1 for every Tractor Supply app download up to $1 million to help bring high-speed internet to America’s rural communities.

Tractor Supply is proud to join more than 100 organizations in the American Connection Project Broadband Coalition. Together, we’re committed to bringing greater broadband access to rural communities across the U.S.

We recognize that a lack of reliable internet connectivity affects all facets of life. To help alleviate the challenges faced by our customers, we’re donating $1 for every Tractor Supply app download up to $1 million to support broadband improvements in rural areas such as access points through the 4-H organization, libraries and county extension offices.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:[/I]

• [I]Download our free mobile app in the App Store or on Google Play.[/I]
• [I]Our donation commitment includes all downloads made in 2020 and extends through the end of the year (12/31). If you already have the app, your download counts![/I]
• [I]There’s no need to submit proof — we’ll track all downloads through a third party."[/I]

That pretty much explains it. Download a free app, and $1 goes to the Project Broadband Coalition for rural broadband access.

Hope this helps.

[clanter]

good to see a private partnership of corporations attempt this. The cost estimates by various governmental agencies have put the cost at between $150B and $200B to bring the rural areas up to high speed/5G network standards.

For reference when the Rural Electrification Administration, or R.E.A., was created on May 11, 1935 (Norris-Rayburn Act), Congress authorized $410 million in appropriations for a ten-year program to electrify American farms. In today’s dollar that $410m investment would be just under $8B

[mmeqcenter]

Good on TSC. I have just now downloaded the app.

If the government would have stopped the industry from having their little monopolies, this wouldn’t have become the issue it is in the first place. Instead, they let them create little regions for themselves (hence why you can typically only get one or two major service providers at your address) so they don’t have to compete with anyone else, and don’t bother updating technology in rural and low-income areas because they don’t have to to get or keep customers. My internet is DSL with max speed 8mbps and costs almost $100/month. My only other options are satellite (not allowed with my job) and Verizon (data cost would be obscene with my job). Absolutely ridiculous.