LINCOLN, NEB. – Nebraska's farmers and ranchers may be moving one step closer to high-speed internet service.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau announced Tuesday that it is working with SpaceX's Starlink to help fulfill the broadband needs of rural Nebraskans.

"Internet access is a necessity in modern agriculture and for the continued success of the small towns our farmers and ranchers rely on daily, said Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue. "After extensive support and work on the process, Nebraska Farm Bureau is excited to work with Starlink. Starlink’s model of providing quality broadband in Nebraska is revolutionary. Working with Starlink will help ensure quality internet service is delivered to all areas of the state.”

Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. SpaceX officials said they are leveraging their experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy an advanced broadband internet system.

“We continue to hear from our members that farms, ranches, rural households, and businesses struggle with getting access to reliable high-speed internet. Whether you are 20 miles from Lincoln or Omaha or in the Sandhills, the thing we hear the most is that quality service and speed is just not available," McHargue said.

McHargue said that NEFB members will get two months of free service when signing up, giving them an approximately $200 value. He said that the partnership between Starlink and NEFB will provide savings and service to rural areas that may be years away from getting connectivity. 

“Starlink is ideal for those who live and work in rural communities, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with the Nebraska Farm Bureau,” said Chad Gibbs, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink Business Operations.

Nebraska Farm Bureau members can sign up here.