Buffalo Trace Area Development District, in partnership with Lewis County Fiscal Court, is conducting a survey of Lewis County residents to help identify what barriers prevent people from accessing and/or using the internet.
Funds have been made possible by Connect Humanity to conduct this study. Information collected will be useful in determining what actions can be taken to assist residents with accessing and using the internet.
The surveys are being distributed in this week’s edition of The Lewis County Herald as well as in utility mailings from the Electric Plant Board of the City of Vanceburg. Copies of the survey may be downloaded here.
Take the survey online here.
The surveys must be completed/returned by May 24 to be recorded.
If you have questions about this survey, contact Sierra O’Cull at Buffalo Trace ADD at 606-564-6894.
For more information, visit the Kentucky Office of Broadband at broadband.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx and the Kentucky Broadband Availability Map at https://tinyurl.com/4srjduc6.
Residents can also check their information on the Federal High-Speed Internet Map to assess the accuracy of the information associated with their address.
To review the maps, go to broadbandmap.fcc.gov and enter your street address.
The FCC released the map in late 2022, which allows users to search by street address where providers make high-speed internet access services available and where they do not.
The map shows information on fixed internet service by provider name, service technology type (e.g., fiber, copper, satellite) and the maximum advertised speed offered at the location. Mobile wireless service also is shown by technology type (e.g., 3G, 4G, LTE, 5G).
Lewis County was among recipients announced in September 2023 with Gov. Beshear presenting $17,191,102 in grant funding toward a total project budget of $27,848,781 for Spectrum to extend service to 2,121 underserved and no service homes and businesses in the county.
A ceremonial check for $17 million was presented to Lewis County Judge Executive George Sparks during a press conference at the capitol in Frankfort.
“Access to high-speed, reliable internet service is vital infrastructure as critical to our connectivity as roads and bridges,” Gov. Andy Beshear said.
The awards announced were the result of a bipartisan agreement signed into law by Gov. Beshear in April 2021 that allocated $300 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars to the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund for the construction of high-speed internet infrastructure to connect areas currently without access.
Sparks encourages all Lewis Countians to complete the survey and return it by the deadline.
“The information collected through this survey is crucial in developing the next steps in our broadband improvement journey in Lewis County,” Sparks said. “It is important that as many households in the county as possible provide this information which will ultimately benefit all off us.”
Broadband service concerns may be reported and the broadband availability map may be viewed at https://broadband.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx. You may sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (https://www.fcc.gov/acp) if you are eligible.
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