Texas Broadband Development Office Seeks Feedback from Communities for Development of Digital Opportunity Plan Mertzon, Midland Texas
Broadband Development Office Invites Community Members to Public Meetings in Mertzon, Midland
WEST TEXAS (August 7, 2023) — The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) is asking the public to attend a meeting regarding internet accessibility, affordability, and usage. The BDO, administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, will accept feedback from this meeting to help develop the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan, which is required to draw down federal funding for connecting Texans to reliable, high-speed internet. The BDO expects to complete the plan this fall.
The BDO will be hosting two meetings in the West Texas Region this month. The first meeting will be held on August 15, from 5-7pm, at the Irion County Community Center, 110 W. Duncan in Mertzon.
The public is encouraged to register for the Mertzon public meeting at: http://bit.ly/TxBDOPublicMeetings.
“Here in the Concho Valley, we recognize the far-reaching potential of the broadband expansion funding available to our communities – both for our economy and for the quality of life of our citizens. It's a game-changer for remote education, telemedicine, small businesses, and countless other aspects of daily life that require reliable internet access,” said John Austin Stokes, Executive Director of the Concho Valley Council of Governments. “We strongly encourage community leaders and residents to voice their perspectives at the upcoming public meetings hosted by the State of Texas Broadband Development Office. Your insight is critical in shaping our local broadband goals and addressing concerns. This very well might be a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us to shape a digital future in a way that works for everyone in the Concho Valley.”
The second meeting will be held on August 16, from 2-4pm, at the Region 18 Education Service Center, 2811 La Force Blvd. in Midland.
The public is encouraged to register for the Midland public meeting at: http://bit.ly/TxBDOPublicMeetings.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get high speed internet to the rural areas of Texas. We want to hear from everyone possible to make sure we are covering all the areas needing this connectivity,” said Rick Bacon, Tom Green County Commissioner.