Persons in Texas County looking to obtain better internet access will want to check an online map to see if their location information is correct. The answers will determine the allocation of $1.7 billion in broadband money in Missouri.
A state study released in February shows that few portions of the county had adequate internet service. In Texas County, it is much worse: About 38 percent are served, 14 percent are underserved and a whopping 47 percent are unserved, according to the report. It measured the standard as 25 Mbps upload and 3 download. It’s a reality school districts learned during the pandemic when many households didn’t have adequate service. It has caused issues when communicating with parents and students.
City of Houston citizens are an exception: Local government is installing a fiber-to-the-home high-speed system for homes and businesses. It offers speeds up to 1 gig.
The Department of Economic Development’s (DED) Office of Broadband Development (OBD) announced Monday that the Missouri Broadband Availability Challenge Process is open and accepting challenges until April 23. The challenge process will assist in the investment of $1.7 billion in funding provided by the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
“We’re committed to making the most of every investment in our state’s critical infrastructure, which includes broadband internet,” said Gov. Mike Parson. “Today, we have a historic opportunity to bring more quality connections to more Missourians than ever before. The Missouri Broadband Availability Challenge Process is a vital step in ensuring that resources for broadband expansion are used efficiently and effectively.”
The purpose of the challenge process is to finalize the eligibility of Missouri homes and businesses for funding through the BEAD program. It will allow Texas County residents and others, as well as broadband stakeholders, to provide evidence that the Missouri Broadband Availability Map (https://bit.ly/4cJEpFR) does not accurately reflect the availability or quality of internet service at a given location. Through the challenge process, OBD will collect input important to achieving its goal of connecting all Missourians to quality, high-speed internet.
“We encourage all Missourians, including service providers, to help ensure the map is as accurate as possible before funding decisions are made,” said BJ Tanksley, director of the Office of Broadband Development. “This is a pivotal moment for broadband expansion. Public input will greatly help us in our ongoing work to connect all Missourians.”
To assist challenge process participants, OBD has published a series of online resources that include a challenge portal user guide, data downloads reflecting the status of locations, the approved BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1, and various how-to guides. These resources are available on OBD’s challenge process webpage.
During the challenge process, providers whose service is challenged will have 30 days to file rebuttal evidence. Any nonprofit, local government or internet service provider interested in participating should register through the challenge portal. Providers reporting service in Missouri are encouraged to register so they will be notified of challenges and able to respond. Resubmission of challenges will only be accepted before April 23 and challenges rejected due to a lack of evidence or other reason after April 23 cannot be resubmitted. Challengers should consider submitting challenges as early as possible.
Details on the challenge process, including helpful resources, are available at ded.mo.gov/office-broadband-development/challenge.