KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — A broadband survey, which will arguably shape the future of broadband infrastructure in Kaufman County, is slated to close its survey window at the end of business hours on June 30, 2022.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — A broadband survey, which will arguably shape the future of broadband infrastructure in Kaufman County, is slated to close its survey window at the end of business hours on June 30, 2022.
Local governments and the data collection agency charged with conducting the survey say the data is imperative now, more so than ever, as the federal government prepares to grant "once-in-a-lifetime funding" to improve broadband infrastructure across the nation.
The survey data will allow local providers to obtain endorsements from school districts and state and local governments to prioritize much-needed projects and show the state agency charged with distributing the funds that Kaufman County is "shovel ready," in hopes of moving local projects to the front of the funding line.
The Kaufman County Broadband Committee is working with Connection Nation Texas (CN Texas) to conduct the survey, which has been granted for free through funding provided by The Meadows Foundation in Dallas, Texas. Kaufman County was among just two north Texas counties to receive the funding amounting to over $50,000.
Sierra Sees, Broadband Solutions Manager for Connected Nation Texas, tells inForney.com the survey is a grassroots approach to getting the boots on the ground data of the state of the broadband infrastructure in Kaufman County.
The survey hopes to identify not only holes in broadband availability but a total outlook of broadband throughout the county including availability, competitive market pricing for consumers, work-at-home broadband speeds and usage requirements, and wants such as more data usage and speeds for leisure, entertainment, and gaming, among other things, says Sees.
"You may have internet access but it may not make economic sense or the most reliable connection," she says. "We're trying to tackle accessibility and affordability and, to do that, data is king when applying for funding."
CN Texas, which is a non-profit organization, has partnered with Kaufman County-area local governments to conduct the survey, the data will not be sold, and will wholly be used for getting an assessment on the state of the broadband infrastructure in the county, according to Sees.
Area residents, business owners, ranchers, agriculture producers, first responders, community institutions, and health care officials are being asked to participate in the 10-minute survey at https://connectednation.org/kaufman-county-texas/.
So far, according to Sees, their agency has received 1,800 responses to the survey however, more responses are needed from businesses, community organizations, health care officials, and agriculture producers.
"Rural Texans need better broadband," stated Susan H., a Cottonwood resident. "My family lives on a county road in western Kaufman County. Even though we live less than an hour south of Dallas, our only internet access is via a cellular hot spot."
"I’ll do my part and take the CN Texas broadband survey," she says. "Please join me. Together, we’ll make a bigger impact to improve the broadband desert in our community."
