People in Texas counties who want better internet access need to check online maps to see if their location information is correct. The answers will determine the distribution of Missouri’s $1.7 billion in broadband funding.
A state study released in February showed only a handful of areas in the county had adequate internet service. The situation in Texas counties is much worse: About 38% are served, 14% are underserved, and a whopping 47% are unserved, the report said. The measurement standard is 25 Mbps upload and 3 Mbps download. It’s a reality school districts recognized during the pandemic, when many families were underserved. This creates problems in communication with parents and students.
Residents of Houston are an exception: The local government is installing fiber-to-the-home high-speed systems for homes and businesses. It provides 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 for challenges with a deadline of April 23. The challenge process will assist the Broadband Sector’s $1.7 billion Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program of investment capital.
“We are committed to leveraging every investment in our state’s critical infrastructure, including 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 an important step in ensuring that broadband expansion resources are used effectively.”
The purpose of the challenge process is to finalize the eligibility of Missouri households and businesses to receive funding through the BEAD program. It will allow Texas county residents and others and 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 in a given location. Through the challenge process, OBD will gather input critical to achieving the goal of connecting all Missourians to high-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 B.J. Tanksley, director of the Office of Broadband Development. “This is a critical time for broadband expansion. Public input will greatly help Help us in our ongoing work to connect all Missourians.”
To assist challenge process participants, OBD has published a series of online resources, including a Challenge Portal User Guide, data downloads reflecting site status, Approved BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 1, and various operational guides. These resources are available on OBD’s Challenge Process webpage.
During the challenge process, the provider whose services are challenged will have 30 days to submit rebuttal evidence. Any nonprofit, local government or internet service provider interested in participating should register through the challenge portal. Reporting service providers in Missouri are encouraged to register so that they can receive challenge notifications and be able to respond. Resubmission of challenges will only be accepted before April 23. Challenges that are rejected due to lack of evidence or other reasons after April 23 will not be resubmitted. Challengers should consider submitting their challenge as early as possible.
For more information about the challenge process, including helpful resources, visit ded.mo.gov/office-broadband-development/challenge.