Anderson County Takes Action to Expand High-Speed Internet Access to All Families, Businesses, Organizations
The historic Palestine Community Theatre sits at the center of Anderson County in Palestine, Texas
Anderson County, TX (March 12, 2020) – The Anderson County Broadband Committee, in partnership with Connected Nation Texas (CN Texas), today launched a new effort to connect more families, businesses, farmers, and community organizations to broadband (high-speed internet).
“We are excited that Anderson County has been selected among the communities in Texas to work with Connected Nation Texas to leverage their experience in developing community-specific Technology Action Plans,” said Leslie Cloer, City Manager, Palestine. “We will need input from local families, business owners, community organizations, and others to ensure the plan addresses the unique needs of our county. We are working diligently to attract new businesses, but our current broadband availability limits what industries are actually able to relocate to Anderson County and operate efficiently. As this technology is so frequently used in our homes, workplaces, and schools, it is so important that we involve as many people and organizations as possible to share their thoughts on what needs to change or be improved. I encourage all of you to take ten minutes out of your day to fill out a brief survey at the link below to help provide data on a topic that impacts our daily lives in our community.”
It takes just ten minutes to fill out the survey which can be found here: https://www.myconnectedcommunity.org/anderson-county/. Anderson County is the 8th community selected to take part in this program; CN Texas is identifying 23 in total.
“It is so important for all of us to take part because expanding access to high-speed internet can positively impact everything from local businesses to our schools to healthcare in the region,” said Terry Johnson, Economic Development Project Manager, Palestine Economic Development Corporation. “Imagine if we can power our small businesses with a global market, provide our kids with unlimited education opportunities, and support everyone from young adults to veterans with the wide range of resources that can be found online.”
CN Texas is a local program of the national nonprofit Connected Nation (CN). The nonprofit’s Connected Community Engagement Program has helped more than 300 communities across the country develop similar plans by collecting data from local stakeholders and working with providers to identify opportunities and challenges for expanding access to high-speed internet.
Thanks to funding from the Texas Rural Funders Collaborative, Anderson County is part of a statewide effort to connect all communities—especially in rural areas which have been unserved or underserved for years—to broadband.
“We recently released updated broadband coverage maps for every county in Texas, including Anderson,” said Jennifer Harris, State Program Director, CN Texas. “It’s the first time these maps have been updated in five years, and we’re asking the public to review them and let us know where things can be improved. The exciting thing is that this information and the feedback received will help power the work Anderson County is doing.”
You can find your county map and review its updated information by heading to https://connectednation.org/texas/mapping-analysis/ and provide feedback at https://connectednation.org/texas/feedback. You can also find an interactive map at https://connectednation.org/texas/interactivemap.
To learn more about CN Texas, email Jennifer Harris at jharris@connectednation.org or visit the CN Texas website at https://www.connectednation.org/texas. To learn more about the Connected Program head to https://connectednation.org/connect-my-community/.
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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.