The Kansas Broadband Roadshow has been announced, and it’s starting in Emporia.
The Kansas Office of Broadband Development has announced several tour stops through at least March with more likely. The Emporia tour stop will be Wednesday from 5:30-7 pm at the Fairgrounds Anderson Building.
The tour is designed to let state officials hear directly from residents about internet access and its availability — or lack of availability. As far as the tour goes, the state says it plans to put special attention on groups and communities that have been adversely affected by “digital inequities,” including low-income households, aging populations, residents with disabilities or language barriers, minorities, rural populations, veterans and incarcerated people.
The goal is to develop an “effective” five-year strategic action plan and also to “support statewide digital equity.”
This follows the Kansas Broadband Summit last month, where the state got input from “invested communities and partners.” All 50 states and six territories have applied for planning grant funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment program and the Digital Equity Act. Grant awards for all states and territories will be announced after plans are submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Registration is needed for Wednesday’s meeting. Click here to register.
