Nebraska Broadband Office reports large declines in unserved and underserved locations, details rollout plans and concerns

The Nebraska Broadband Office told the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee that the state has made substantial progress toward closing broadband gaps, with staff reporting that locations classified as "underserved" have fallen by approximately 60% and "unserved" locations by roughly 75% since the previous inventory.

Director Haggerty of the Nebraska Broadband Office presented the 2024 annual report and credited a mix of private investment, state programs and federal funding for the progress. "Underserved by approximately 60% and unserved by approximately 75," Haggerty told the committee, and he said the office’s outreach effort included a 12‑community circuit focused on FEED funding and a total of 201 engagements this year, including 189 unique outreach interactions.

Senators pressed Haggerty for raw counts behind the percentages. Haggerty said when he was appointed in July 2023 the office was managing an inventory of about 111,000 unserved or underserved living locations; the final inventory he cited would be "just under 30,000," a net change he described as a delta of roughly 80,000 locations. He added the office currently lists about…