Help Improve High-Speed Internet Connections in Liberty County for Families, Businesses
Liberty County, Texas Courthouse
Liberty County, TX (January 15, 2020) – The Liberty County Broadband Committee officially launched its effort today to develop a Technology Action Plan for the county.
The committee, made up of local leaders and stakeholders, is working with Connected Nation Texas (CN Texas), through the Connected Community Engagement Program, to identify opportunities and challenges for expanding broadband (high-speed internet) access to more families, businesses, and organizations in Liberty County.
“For many years the Cleveland community, as well as Liberty County, have been stable with not much growth. Recently, Liberty County has begun experiencing rapid growth, with a number of new residential developments, and industrial and commercial businesses,,” said Kelly McDonald, City Manager, City of Cleveland. “With the growing populations of each, there is a huge need for expanded broadband not only for the hospitals and schools in this area as technology expands, but for the upcoming industrial and commercial growth we are experiencing.”
To help build an actionable plan, the Liberty County Broadband Committee needs input at https://www.myconnectedcommunity.org/liberty-county/. Head to the link and simply choose the survey that best represents your role in the community. The surveys take just 10 minutes to complete.
The surveys are provided by the Connected Community Engagement Program. The Connected staff has worked locally to develop Technology Action Plans for more than 300 communities across the country. Connected and CN Texas are both mission-centric programs of the national nonprofit Connected Nation, which works to find innovative solutions to expanding access, adoption, and use of broadband and its related technologies to all people no matter where they live.
“A study of this kind is tremendous for our community, our county, and all the residents and business owners to ensure we can improve the access to internet services,” McDonald said. “Working with Connected Nation Texas and our county officials will be an exciting experience as we work hand-in-hand to move the rural areas of Liberty County forward.”
Thanks to funding from the Texas Rural Funders Collaborative, CN Texas is working to identify nearly two dozen communities that want to develop similar plans. Rains, Wharton and Walker counties were the first three to have launched their local broadband initiatives. Liberty County is now the fourth to do so.
“We have worked in Texas for a long time, but we’ve not had a statewide focus for a few years, so I’m excited to see the forward momentum this can achieve,” said Jennifer Harris, State Program Director. “Our staff works with local leaders, businesses, providers, and others to identify ways to connect everyone. Too much is at stake for our Texas communities to stand by and do nothing.”
According to data released in May by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 31.1 percent of rural Texans lack access to high-speed internet. That’s compared to just 2.6 percent in urban areas.
“We always work locally and with those who have a personal stake in their community and want to take part in improving quality of life for all people,” said Tom Stephenson, Community Technology Advisor, CN Texas. “I have seen firsthand how expanding access to a community can positively impact families, individuals, businesses, and organizations. No community or family or farmer or small business should be left out of those opportunities.”
To learn more about CN Texas, email Jennifer Harris at jharris@connectednation.org or visit the CN Texas website at www.connectednation.org/texas. To learn more about the Connected Program, head to https://connectednation.org/connect-my-community/.
# # #
About Connected Nation Texas: CN Texas is a local division of the national nonprofit Connected Nation. Our mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation.
Connected Nation works with consumers, local community leaders, states, technology providers, and foundations to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered on a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. For more information, please visit: connectednation.org and follow Connected Nation on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Texas Rural Funders Collaborative: The mission of the Texas Rural Funders Collaborative (TRFC) is to partner with rural Texans to achieve their vision of prosperity and wellbeing. The group’s strategies recognize and are informed by rural expertise and assets. The TRFC leverages local, philanthropic, state and federal resources to collaborate on projects, support local capacity and leadership, share research, convene stakeholders and engage in advocacy. More information can be found on the TRFC webpage at: https://www.edtx.org/get-involved/texas-rural-funders-collaborative.