March 1, 2010
MANHATTAN, KS - Residents of rural Kansas often pay an unwanted price for the country lifestyle they love. As the current Kansas Living Magazine article points out, quality high-speed Internet access is still unavailable in many rural parts of the state. But, with the new Connect Kansas initiative, the Kansas Farm Bureau and the Information Network of Kansas (INK) have provided close to 20 percent in matching funds and helped secure approximately $2 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in Kansas.
Detailed mapping of the Sunflower State is now in full swing. Connected Nation was commissioned by the Kansas Department of Commerce to create the Connect Kansas project and work with all Kansas broadband providers to create detailed maps of broadband coverage to accurately pinpoint remaining gaps in broadband availability.
The Kansas Farm Bureau is urging all residents, especially those with dial-up service, to find their way to the Connect Kansas website and take the survey questions there. The information gathered is essential to helping bring high-speed broadband service to the areas that need it most.
Read the full article
March 1, 2010
The first official draft of the statewide map of current Kansas broadband coverage is set to be posted on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Broadband mapping of Kansas is now in full swing and Connect Kansas is making the latest information available to everyone on its website.
This is the first draft of a full, statewide broadband map and includes:
- More than 70% of Kansas providers
- More than 90% of Kansas households
- More than 95% of Kansas households in rural areas
The newly posted map reflects information that will be used to create a complete Kansas broadband map which is expected to be released around March 31, 2010. The current draft includes all the data previously submitted by providers, as well as updated information that was submitted to Connected Nation after the mapping first draft deadline. The latest map now reflects all broadband provider information submitted on or before Wednesday, February 26, 2010.
The accuracy of this map is critical to the future of broadband infrastructure planning in the Sunflower State.
The purpose of the newly posted map is two-fold:
- Data Verification: Broadband providers should use the map to make sure their current service area is accurately reflected. This is very important to avoid future broadband overbuild and unwanted competition.
- NTIA Applications: Applicants submitting for NTIA grants and loans should use the map to assist in crafting their applications. The second-round application window opened February 16, 2010 and closes March 15, 2010.
Kansas has designated Connected Nation, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3), to work with the provider community to obtain coverage data and create the map. This initiative is called Connect Kansas. As a third-party organization, Connected Nation is able to protect sensitive provider information through nondisclosure agreements while still gathering the information needed to create an accurate broadband map. This map will also be used to help create a federally mandated national map.
For information about contributing data, please click here.
March 1, 2010
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