The Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) is growing by megabits per second (Mbps)! For those who are new here, that is exceptional for our office and for the state of Indiana. And hey, it’s okay, I am new here too.
My name is Steve Cox, the Infrastructure and Broadband Administrator at IBO. I work closely with Earnie Holtrey, our fearless leader, on a daily basis. Since beginning my new role, I have leaped into the ever-growing conversation of broadband accessibility and connectivity throughout the Hoosier communities. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Roberto Gallardo, our friend over at the Purdue University Center for Regional Development (PCRD). And Earnie has been traveling across the nation to speak on broadband leadership...In this field, the less you're in the office, the better. We seek unique opportunities to connect with the communities we serve, and individuals who encourage ongoing dialogue to improve connectivity.
Lastly, the expansion is only continuing as IBO closed applications for four positions this past week. We are in the process of officially hiring and onboarding four new broadband trailblazers, so stay tuned to meet the team!
Signing off,
Steve Cox
Infrastructure and Broadband Administrator
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IBO successfully concluded its statewide listening tour for the BEAD program, visiting 18 counties in person and conducting one virtual session, with participants representing over 60 counties. These sessions introduced the BEAD program to local leaders, facilitated valuable feedback on the current state of broadband, highlighted success stories and identified expected barriers to infrastructure expansion. They also provided communities with an opportunity to express their specific support needs to IBO and engage in brainstorming key priorities to incorporate into the BEAD application.
Throughout the sessions, IBO encountered highly engaged, helpful local stakeholders who provided thoughtful feedback. While each county in Indiana has a unique perspective, there were commonalities in the feedback received, which will serve as a guiding force in Indiana’s BEAD planning process.
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) launched the Indiana Connectivity Program (ICP) 7th bidding period, which consists of 2,496 total addresses, 296 of which are newly registered for this round. This bidding period will be open from July 14 to September 1. OCRA is unlikely to have further updates until the bidding period ends, at which point OCRA will begin the scoring process, as well as the challenge process for addresses collected for the ICP Round 8.
The Digital Equity planning process has completed the regional solutions sessions phase. The regional solutions sessions had the objective of discussing identified barriers and potential solutions to these barriers, keeping in mind specific solutions for covered populations. We have completed all six sessions with more than 100 participants across the state in partnership with the Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Broadband Office. There will be a seventh online session scheduled for August 28 at 1 p.m.
For more information, please contact Cheyanne Geideman at the Purdue Center for Regional Development. The next step will consist of summarizing the valuable information compiled and beginning writing a draft of the plan for the task force to review. Once the task force provides their feedback, the plan will be posted for public comment in October. We are right on target to submit the plan by mid-November.
As part of our digital equity number crunching, check out our report on the impact of broadband infrastructure in the state: RPI-Impact-of-Broadband-Investments.pdf (purdue.edu)
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, the Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs(OCRA) announce Kosciusko County as the newest Broadband Ready Community.
“Congratulations to Kosciusko County on this momentous occasion,” says Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Today, Kosciusko County leadership is being recognized for taking a pivotal step towards broadband readiness, and I am honored to witness this commitment to your community.”
The Broadband Ready Communities Program was created as a tool to encourage broadband development throughout Indiana. The Broadband Ready Community certification sends a signal to the telecommunication industry that a community has taken steps to reduce barriers to broadband infrastructure investment.
The certification was approved by the IBO and OCRA following Kosciusko County’s adoption of Broadband Ready Community ordinances.
“Our goal in becoming a broadband ready community is to attract broadband providers to our communities, welcome more investment to increase access and affordability of high-speed internet and maintain the connectivity that is necessary in our day-to-day lives for everything from social interactions, education, to business," says Kosciusko County commissioner Bradford Jackson.
To read more, click here.
Holtrey spent three days in Denver, Colorado for the Mountain Connect Broadband Development Conference. This conference was full of sessions covering broadband topics like the BEAD program to community broadband case studies. Holtrey also acted as a presenter for the session entitled “The Data-Driven State Broadband Office,” which discussed how the leading state broadband offices have harnessed the power of data, information and technology to solve the digital divide in local communities.
(Photo courtesy: Mountain Connect, LLC)
Holtrey, among many other broadband experts, was invited to the Broadband Leaders Summit at the Edgewood Resort in Lake Tahoe by Ready.net, a technology and internet organization that helps broadband professionals monetize and connect more people to better services.
Holtrey, representing Indiana, spoke on a panel alongside other pivotal state broadband directors and leaders from Louisiana, Kansas, Vermont, Virginia, Mississippi and Nevada to share perspectives and success stories on broadband connectivity throughout the U.S.
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