[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57829-57830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22710]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[GN Docket No. 19-329; FRS 53475]


Federal Advisory Committee Act; Task Force for Reviewing the 
Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the 
United States

ACTION: Notice of intent to renew.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) 
hereby announces that that the charter of the Task Force for Reviewing 
the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the 
United States (the Task Force) will be renewed for a two-year period 
pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and after 
consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General 
Services Administration.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 45 L Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jesse Jachman, Designated Federal 
Officer, Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition 
Bureau, (202) 418-2668, or email: [email protected]; Elizabeth 
Cuttner, Deputy Designated Federal Officer, Federal Communications 
Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau, (202) 418-2145, or email 
[email protected]; or Stacy Ferraro, Deputy Designated Federal 
Officer, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418-0795 or email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Chair of the Commission, as required by 
section 12511 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 
115-334, 132 stat 4490, is taking appropriate steps to renew the Task 
Force, which Congress has deemed necessary and in the public interest. 
After consultation with the General Services Administration, the 
Commission will renew the charter on or before December 2, 2021, 
providing the Task Force with authorization to operate for two years.
    In consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), or a 
designee of the Secretary, and in collaboration with public and private 
stakeholders in the agriculture and technology fields, the purpose of 
the Task Force is to: Identify and measure current gaps in the 
availability of broadband internet access service on agricultural land; 
develop policy recommendations to promote the rapid, expanded 
deployment of broadband internet access service on unserved 
agricultural land, with a goal

[[Page 57830]]

of achieving reliable capabilities on 95 percent of agricultural land 
in the United States by 2025; promote effective policy and regulatory 
solutions that encourage the adoption of broadband internet access 
service on farms and ranches and promote precision agriculture; 
recommend specific new rules or amendments to existing rules of the 
Commission that the Commission should issue to achieve the goals and 
purposes of the policy recommendations described in the second item in 
this list; recommend specific steps that the Commission should take to 
obtain reliable and standardized data measurements of the availability 
of broadband internet access service as may be necessary to target 
funding support, from future programs of the Commission dedicated to 
the deployment of broadband internet access service, to unserved 
agricultural land in need of broadband internet access service; and 
recommend specific steps that the Commission should consider to ensure 
that the expertise of the Secretary and available farm data are 
reflected in future programs of the Commission dedicated to the 
infrastructure deployment of broadband internet access service and to 
direct available funding to unserved agricultural land where needed.
    In addition, annually, the Task Force will submit to the Chair of 
the Commission a report, which shall be made public, that details: The 
status of fixed and mobile broadband internet access service coverage 
of agricultural land; the projected future connectivity needs of 
agricultural operations, farmers, and ranchers; and the steps being 
taken to accurately measure the availability of broadband internet 
access service on agricultural land and the limitations of current, as 
of the date of the report, measurement processes.

Advisory Committee

    The Task Force is organized under and operates in accordance with, 
the provisions of FACA (5 U.S.C. app. 2). The Task Force is solely 
advisory in nature. Consistent with FACA and its requirements, each 
meeting of the Task Force will be open to the public unless otherwise 
noticed. A notice of each meeting will be published in the Federal 
Register at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the meeting. Records 
will be maintained of each meeting and made available for public 
inspection. All activities of the Task Force will be conducted in an 
open, transparent, and accessible manner. The Task Force shall 
terminate two (2) years from filing date of its renewed charter. 
However, the Commission will seek to renew the Task Force's charter for 
successive terms until the Task Force terminates on January 1, 2025. 
All meeting dates and agenda topics will be described in a Public 
Notice issued and published in the Federal Register at least fifteen 
(15) days prior to the first meeting date. In addition, working groups 
or subcommittees (ad hoc or steering), will continue to facilitate the 
Task Force's work between meetings of the full Task Force. Meetings of 
the Task Force will be fully accessible to individuals with 
disabilities.
    Accessible Formats: To request materials in accessible formats for 
people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio 
format), send an email to [email protected] or call the Consumer and 
Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), 1-888-835-5322 
(TTY).

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-22710 Filed 10-18-21; 8:45 am]
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