Governor announces statewide broadband availability map, requests public input
Governor Laura Kelly and Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers announced today the completion of the first iteration of a broadband availability map for the State of Kansas. Rogers announced the map at the Rural Opportunities Conference in Dodge City yesterday. The map was made possible through a grant from the Information Network of Kansas (“INK”) Board of Directors.
“High speed broadband access is no longer a luxury, and unfortunately, there are still many areas throughout Kansas without adequate access to quality, affordable advanced broadband services,” Governor Kelly said. “Gaining public feedback and input on this map is an important step that my administration will be taking to identify and close broadband coverage gaps across the state.”
The map indicates where there are areas served and unserved by many of our participating broadband service providers. The map can be accessed at: https://connectednation.org/kansas/interactivemap.
“Improving broadband access is key to growing rural Kansas and ensuring businesses and families can thrive,” said Lt. Governor Rogers. “We must ensure that every Kansan, no matter where they live, has access to the critical infrastructure needed to connect and participate in the 21st century economy.”
Broadband coverage was reported on a voluntary basis by the state’s broadband service providers.
Starting this month, Connected Nation will deploy network engineers across the state to validate the data reflected on the map, guided by feedback received from the public. Connected Nation will then update the map based on its findings in July. The public is encouraged to submit feedback via a form that can be accessed here: https://connectednation.org/kansas/feedback.
“I hope the public will take time to provide feedback during this mapping process as we work to develop more effective approaches to closing the digital divide, which continues to persist in our rural communities,” Governor Kelly continued. “Our goal is to leverage the knowledge developed so that we are able to target resources more effectively and make Kansas one of the most connected states in the nation.”
Feedback may be submitted via computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Persons submitting feedback are encouraged to provide a short description of the issue and enter the address where the issue can be found. A screenshot detailing the area in question will automatically be submitted if an address is provided under Section 2, which will aid the network engineers and mapping team in pinpointing the problem.
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