Federal and state officials were on hand in Radcliffe in west-central Iowa today (Thursday) to present a check for just over one-million dollars to the Radcliffe Telephone Company. Tom Dorr, a senior advisor to the U.S. Agriculture Secretary, says the money will help the company extend broadband access to its rural customers. He says when it’s completely rolled out, they’ll provide broadband at 10 to 12 megabytes. Dorr says that’s better than you can get in some urban areas. Dorr says the U-S-D-A Rural Development Office feels increasing broadband access gives rural areas the knowledge, capital and opportunities needed to compete.He says the increased broadband penetration legitimately creates the avenue for young people and others who wish to retain their rural roots to live in those communities and operate in nontraditional entrepreneurial and creative business environments. Dorr says there are over 100 independent and cooperative phone companies in Iowa, and many are expanding their broadband access. He says a number are becoming very aggressive in employing fiber to homes, but he says he doesn’t know the exact numbers on how many. Dorr says broadband is an important tool for developing rural parts of the state.He says in his view, this is as big a deal as when the steam engine was rolled out and we converted to the internal combustion engine. He calls it “a new paradigm that drives economic activity.” The Radcliffe Telephone Company serves nearly 530 people in and around the town.