Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Polk County hears broadband update; staff urges targeted outreach for remaining coverage gaps
Summary
County staff and private providers told Polk County commissioners that most formerly unserved areas have gained service through recent tower and fiber projects, but recommended targeted outreach to a federal rural planning/grant program and local ISPs to close persistent gaps in the county’s northwest and at a 4H facility.
Polk County commissioners on April 7 heard a briefing on broadband projects that county staff and private providers say have substantially reduced the number of unserved households in the county, but that leave several small clusters — notably a northwest corridor and a 4H center site — without reliable service.
"We're in much better shape today," said Dean Anderson, who presented an overview of projects begun in 2020 and updated commissioners on the results of tower, fixed‑wireless and fiber work with private partners. Anderson said his analysis — which compared project service areas against the county’s earlier FCC maps — shows roughly 80% of locations earlier categorized as unserved now have access to some…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
