February 28, 2002 -- The passage of H.R. 1542, the Internet Freedom and Development Act of 2001. H.R. 1542 was of particular interest to National Grange given the organization's focus on rural infrastructure needs such as health care, education and communications.

"The Grange believes that rural America deserves access to the same basic public and commercial services that urban Americans enjoy," said Leroy Watson, National Grange Legislative Affairs Director. "Advanced telecommunications services, such as high speed Internet access, is one of those basic services. Today Congress affirms their commitment to rural America and to the vitality of our economy. Access to broadband Internet is as important to rural America in the 21st century as universal mail and telephone services has been in the last century,"

According to the organization, over one hundred years ago, the Grange was instrumental in winning Rural Free Delivery Mail Service, which opened up vast new commerce and communications opportunities for millions of Americans living in our nation's farms and in rural communities. Support for the Tauzin-Dingell bill was a natural extension of that philosophy, as H.R. 1542 breaks down regulatory barriers that have discouraged investment in deployment broadband services to rural communities.

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