Missouri’s broadband office wants public’s input on $1.7 billion expansion plan

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) - The Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development is asking for the public’s input on its plan to invest $1.7 billion to expand of the state’s broadband infrastructure.

An online survey is collecting feedback on its “Digital Opportunity Plan,” which asks survey-takers how well the plan identifies the state’s broadband needs and lays out a strategy to meet them.

“These documents will inform the state’s plans for spending more than $1.7 billion toward broadband deployment and more than $20 million toward addressing non-infrastructure barriers to full participation in the digital world,” an invitation to the survey invitation said.

The OBD’s goal is to develop a framework which will maximize the efficiency of each dollar, in order to meet as much of the state’s needs as possible.

Missouri received the 3rd highest investment from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, which is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“That big allocation is because there is a really big challenge, we did not figure out some secret trick around the system,” said Adam Thorp, who works with the state’s Office of Broadband Development.

One of the project’s initiatives is to bolster the state’s Community Anchor Institutions, public places which offer free access to the internet.

Such places might include libraries, public college campuses, community centers, etc.

The survey wants the public to help identify potential CAIs in their area.

“These are places with high levels of demand for broadband services, and with an especially high impact in terms of once you get connected, you’re helping a lot of people get access to the digital world,” Thorp said.

More than 250,000 homes and buildings in Missouri have low, unreliable or no internet access, according to the DED.

States, D.C., and territories’ funding from the $42.45 billion BEAD program:

Texas - $3,312,616,455.45
California - $1,864,136,508.93
Missouri - $1,736,302,708.39
Michigan - $1,559,362,479.29
North Carolina - $1,532,999,481.15
Virginia - $1,481,489,572.87
Alabama - $1,401,221,901.77
Louisiana - $1,355,554,552.94
Georgia - $1,307,214,371.30
Washington - $1,227,742,066.30
West Virginia - $1,210,800,969.85
Mississippi - $1,203,561,563.05
Florida - $1,169,947,392.70
Pennsylvania - $1,161,778,272.41
Kentucky - $1,086,172,536.86
Wisconsin - $1,055,823,573.71
Illinois - $1,040,420,751.50
Arkansas - $1,024,303,993.86
Alaska - $1,017,139,672.42
Arizona - $993,112,231.37
Indiana - $868,109,929.79
Colorado - $826,522,650.41
Tennessee - $813,319,680.22
Oklahoma - $797,435,691.25
Ohio - $793,688,107.63
Oregon - $688,914,932.17
New Mexico - $675,372,311.86
New York - $664,618,251.49
Minnesota - $651,839,368.20
Montana - $628,973,798.59
Idaho - $583,256,249.88
South Carolina - $551,535,983.05
Kansas - $451,725,998.15
Nevada - $416,666,229.74
Iowa - $415,331,313.00
Nebraska - $405,281,070.41
Wyoming - $347,877,921.27
Puerto Rico - $334,614,151.70
Utah - $317,399,741.54
Maine - $271,977,723.07
Maryland - $267,738,400.71
New Jersey - $263,689,548.65
Vermont - $228,913,019.08
South Dakota - $207,227,523.92
New Hampshire - $196,560,278.97
Guam - $156,831,733.59
Hawaii - $149,484,493.57
Massachusetts - $147,422,464.39
Connecticut - $144,180,792.71
North Dakota - $130,162,815.12
Rhode Island - $108,718,820.75
Delaware - $107,748,384.66
District of Columbia - $100,694,786.93
Northern Mariana Islands - $80,796,709.02
American Samoa - $37,564,827.53
U.S. Virgin Islands - $27,103,240.86

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