APAS Rural Connectivity Task Force Digging Into Internet Issues

Dec 15, 2020

The APAS Rural Connectivity Task Force has hit the mid-way point of its project to improve rural internet service in the Province.

Project Chair Jeremy Welter, farms near Kerrobert, and says they've met with researchers and SaskTel to get a better understanding on why the issue around rural internet is such a hard problem to solve.

"The concern provincially is that when some of the private companies are purchasing bandwidth for the entire province, but really only focusing on the major urban areas. That bandwidth is tied up and nobody else can use it,but its also not being used to properly serve customers outside of major urban centres."

Welter feels there should be more information available on the companies and their plans adding that should be part of the consideration.

"If a company is awarded spectrum in an auction and they state categorically their plans are to focus on two or three or four major urban centres in Saskatchewan, maybe there should be a requirement in there that they have an obligation to either include rural in that plan, or to find companies that are interested in using some of that spectrum to connect rural customers."

Welter says they are half way through the process and plan to release a final report early next year.

In the meantime, he is encouraging rural residents to take part in the Connectivity Test on the APAS website.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.