Jeff Pettit Selected to Represent NATE on FCC’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force
For Immediate Release:
November 19, 2019
Jeff Pettit Selected to Represent NATE on FCC’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force
(Washington, D.C.) – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai today announced the agency’s appointments to serve on the Commission’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force.
Jeff Pettit, President and CEO of NATE member company Noash Construction, Inc. and Owner of Diamond P Cattle Company has been selected to serve as the Association’s Representative to on the FCC’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force. Pettit founded Noash Construction, Inc, in 1997 as a company specializing in the development of tower sites in the rural areas of Kentucky and the surrounding states. Pettit’s company performs tower maintenance and installation service to customers ranging from wireless carriers, government agencies, utilities, equipment manufacturers and emergency responders.
Jeff Pettit also owns and operates Diamond P Cattle Company and currently serves as an Executive Committee Board Member for the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, a Board member for the Red Angus Association of America, and a Board member for the Webster County (KY) Farm Bureau.
“It is an honor to be appointed to serve on the FCC’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force as I will be able to bring to the table my passions and experiences working in both the wireless infrastructure and agricultural sectors,” stated Pettit. “I am really excited to roll up my sleeves and bring my passion and extensive experiences working in the wireless infrastructure, broadband and agriculture sectors to help accomplish the goals and objectives set out by Chairman Pai and the FCC on this important initiative,” Pettit added.
“Jeff Pettit is a man of tremendous character and will be a great asset to the FCC’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force,” said NATE Executive Director Todd Schlekeway. “Jeff’s experience as President and CEO of Noash Construction, Inc. has provided him with vast experience and keen insights into deploying the infrastructure and technology necessary to enable connectivity in rural America and he also possesses a keen understanding of where coverage gaps exist and how the lack of accessible broadband negatively impacts the agriculture industry and economy,” added Schlekeway.
The mission of the FCC Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force will focus on the following objectives:
· 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 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 bullet 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.
The Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force will be organized under, and will operate in accordance with, the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). As permitted by FACA, the Task Force is authorized to facilitate its work through informal subcommittees, or other subgroups of the Task Force, which shall report their activities and recommendations to the Task Force as a whole.
For more information on the FCC, visit www.fcc.gov. To learn more about NATE, visit www.natehome.com.
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About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association in the wireless infrastructure industry providing a unified voice for tower erection, service and maintenance companies. Today the Association boasts over 835 member companies located throughout the United States, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Israel, Jamaica, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Trinidad and the United Kingdom. For additional information on NATE, please visit www.natehome.com.
Contact: Todd Schlekeway
(605) 882-5865
