SANDUSKY, Mich.–The Sanilac County Broadband Committee has launched a new initiative to help expand and improve high-speed internet access for all county residents, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, and community organizations.
“For the last year, the Sanilac County Board of Commissioners have discussed a county-driven initiative for reliable internet in Sanilac,” said Joel Wyatt, the board’s vice chairman. “The last eight months have revealed that objective being more needed than ever. Businesses, families, churches and especially school children have a tremendous need for solid, fast internet. It is truly becoming a critical infrastructure service.”
The broadband committee is working in partnership with the national nonprofit Connected Nation, which has a mission to improve lives by identifying innovative solutions for expanding access, adoption, and use of broadband and its related technologies to all people. The committee is using CN’s Connected Community Engagement Program to develop a Technology Action Plan.
As part of this effort, and to ensure a plan that accurately reflects the need across the area, the committee is asking every individual, business, and community organization in the county to take 10 minutes and fill out this short survey about access: https://myconnectedcommunity.org/sanilac-county.
“The data gleaned from this survey is only for the use of the Sanilac County Broadband Committee,” Wyatt said. “It is more detailed than any survey the internet service providers have done. This will not only help identify areas of poor service, but also identify possibilities for equipment placement and other aspects of internet delivery that will encourage the providers to build out. In addition, this commitment on the part of the county in cooperation with the providers opens up grant opportunities to assist in our objective.”
The Connected program has developed Technology Action Plans for more than 350 communities, counties, and regions across the country. Each one is tailored to an area’s specific opportunities and challenges. For more details, head to https://connectednation.org/connect-my-community/.
Connected Nation’s mission is to expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. More at connectednation.org.