The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took another step to implement the Precision Ag Connectivity Act (PACA) with the announcement of the Precision Ag Task Force members.

TopCon Agriculture’s Michael Gomes, vice president, Business Development, and John Deere’s Daniel T. Leibfried, director, Advanced Technology, Intelligent Solutions Group were named to the 15 member panel.

The task force also has representatives from Land O’Lakes, Pioneer Communications, South Dakota State University, Dakota Carrier Network, Deaf Smith County, TX, Fifth Estate Growers, New Vision Farms, Missouri Dept. of Agriculture, Nation of Oklahoma, SpaceX, Mississippi Farm Bureau, National Association of Tower Erectors and NineStar Connect

The Task Force will meet over the next year to identify gaps in in-field wireless coverage and develop policy recommendations to fill them.

AEM was instrumental in seeing PACA enacted as part of the 2018 Farm Bill. The legislation is intended to focus policy-maker attention on the connectivity needs of modern production agriculture to ensure our fields have the information infrastructure to support technologically advanced equipment.

For more information, contact AEM's Nick Tindall at ntindall@aem.org.