COMPTROLLER RELEASES TEXAS BROADBAND PLAN

  

Comptroller Glenn Hegar last week released his agency’s Texas Broadband Plan, created to support the expansion of broadband access for underserved and unserved Texans.

The Comptroller’s Broadband Development Office (BDO) crafted the plan using feedback collected through 12 public town halls, 60 virtual regional roundtable discussions and more than 16,000 survey responses.

Hegar told Texas lawmakers in a letter that the plan is to be used as a road map for improvement, adding that “though high-speed internet may once have been a luxury, it is now a necessity.”  He said, “Texans need reliable, high-speed connectivity for a wide range of potential applications including public health, safety, education and modern agriculture.”

According to a release from the Comptroller’s office, U.S. Census Bureau data indicates almost 2.8 million Texas households, including 7 million people, lack broadband access.  Twenty-three percent of Texans have limited ability to attend virtual classes, visit virtually with healthcare providers, fill out job applications online, start a business or access online marketplaces.  The Comptroller’s office said this problem disproportionately affects rural communities, communities of color and low-income families.

The BDO was established last year to award grants, low-interest loans and other financial incentives to expand access to broadband service across the state.  The broadband plan is based on several guiding principles that will create the foundation for state and federal funds to use toward that goal.

By early next year, the BDO plans to establish a broadband-focused, federally compliant grant program; publish a broadband availability map; and manage recurring coordination and communication opportunities across stakeholder groups.

More information on the broadband plan is available at comptroller.texas.gov.