Grayson County Broadband Coalition
The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO), in partnership with HR&A Advisors and the Institute of Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), is pleased to offer a free webinar series that will help local governments, non-profits, and community advocates understand and demystify the complex landscape of digital opportunity. It’s imperative that Texas communities are prepared to take advantage of historic funding to bridge the digital divide.
This technical assistance series is tailored for individuals and organizations working with covered populations who face barriers taking full advantage of the benefits of broadband – from employment and education opportunities to quality-of-life enhancing telehealth applications.
Register for the Webinar Series:
Wednesdays at 2PM CST – 3PM CST
Register Here: https://hraadvisors.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0odeGrqzwuG9AsB75MOjwEIPP9SUzakTyQ
About the Series:
Whether you’re a community advocate, a non-profit organization leader, or a government official working to address digital inequities, this series will be a comprehensive resource for understanding the Texas digital opportunity landscape. Sessions held every week will teach participants about topics like the Digital Equity Act, partnership strategies, and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
Webinars will be held from 2-3PM CST on Wednesdays until February 7.
The following is a list of dates and topics the modules will cover.
- 12/13/2023 – A Community Guide to TDOP
- 12/20/2023 – Your Voice Matters: A Guide to Preparing for Public Comment
- 1/3/2024 – Organized Advocacy: The Need for Local Coalitions and State Networks
- 1/10/2024 – Demystifying Broadband Basics and Funding Digital Opportunity
- 1/17/2024 – Resolving Access Gaps
- 1/24/2024 – Every Texan Connected: Working with Covered Populations
- 1/31/2024 – Sustainable Community-Based systems for Device Deployment and Digital Skills Programs
- 2/7/2024 – Partnership and Tips on a Successful Application
Additional “office hours” sessions on Mondays, starting December 11, will involve greater participation from attendees as they collaborate with the hosts to develop plans and proposals most appropriate for their local communities.
Together, through collaboration and coordination, we can empower all communities and businesses in Texas to fully participate in the digital world.
These webinars are offered by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in partnership with HR&A Advisors on behalf of the Texas Broadband Development Office.
To register, please use the link above. For any questions about registration or the series, please reply all to this email. For programmatic questions, please contact digital.opportunity@cpa.texas.gov.
Digital Equity Dashboard that can be filtered by county and school district. https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/john.parker2994/viz/DigitalEquityDashboardV2/Story1#WelcomeQuestionnaire
Texas BEAD Allocation
On June 26th, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration published its “Notice of Available Amounts” for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Texas has $3,312,616,455.45 available to implement the BEAD program. These funds will help bring connectivity to Texans across our state.
These funds will be allocated through a competitive grantmaking process that will be detailed in the Initial Proposal, which is due to the NTIA in December 2023. Upon approval of the Initial Proposal, the BDO will initiate a challenge process and solicit proposals from internet service providers to bring connectivity to unserved and underserved households across the state. The evaluated and selected awards resulting from this process will be compiled and proposed to the NTIA in the Final Proposal, expected to be due in early 2025, after which BEAD funds will be fully released to the state, distributed to selected subgrantees, and utilized to construct networks that will deploy to unserved and underserved locations throughout Texas.
We appreciate your support in this planning process to connect all Texans!
Resources for stakeholders
Texas Broadband Map
Map Usage
The map portrays broadband statistics for the State of Texas. Summary statistics are available via several boundary layers such as (but not limited to) county, tribal lands, house districts, etc. Please note that some layers will need to be turned on as they are off by default.
Zoom in until county boundaries appear and click on the map to see relevant statistics. The pop up box could have more than one page – use the arrows to click through to additional statistics. Zoom in further to view the color-coded designated areas (census blocks) to view their Eligible / Ineligible status. Zoom in still further to see Served / Unserved / Underserved Locations on the map.
“The FCC’s current definition of high-speed internet as 25/3 mbps is becoming rapidly obsolete,” Hegar said. “One of the things we learned talking to stakeholders around the state last year was that to be truly competitive, communities need internet that is faster than the FCC’s definition of high-speed broadband. For that reason, we designed the map to show coverage at various speeds. We also heard that reliability was a constant concern for certain types of technology, so we want to show stakeholders and lawmakers what type of technology is available in their areas. This functionality will be crucial as lawmakers and the BDO work to prioritize funding in the coming year.” Texas Comptroller Releases Broadband Map
Helpful Links –
Texas Broadband Development Office
Texas Rural Funders
NDIA_Coalition-Guidebook
Best Practices for States and Localities to Advance Digital Equity
USDA Rural Development Community Connect
Stay Informed
- Sign Up: Broadband Development Office Newsletter
- Report: Broadband Recommendations to Connect All Texans | Link
- Sign Up: TX Rural Funders Broadband on the Move Newsletter