WOODVILLE – “Better, faster, cheaper” is the key goal for broadband internet in the region, as presented last Thursday at the monthly Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) meeting of the board of directors.
The meeting, which took place in the Family Life Center at Woodville’s First Baptist Church, was prefaced by a presentation from Sanborn Geospatial, the firm that has been put in charge of conducting an assessment of the 11-county region serviced by DETCOG.
The goal of the study, according to DETCOG, is to improve internet service throughout the region, and to reduce costs, increase connectivity speeds and reliability, as well as the internet infrastructure.
Dave Zelenak, of Sanborn, said the goal is to convince the FCC that the region needs more funding toward the internet improvement goals, and the survey will help toward that end.
“The better information we get, the better position we can be to hopefully get you better, faster, cheaper broadband and better, faster, cheaper cellular communications,” Zelenak said.
Surveys are available for residents and business owners, which is the community engagement phase of the study. The links to the surveys were posted to DETCOG’s website, detcog.gov, and open until Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The broadband assessment is funded through the USDA Rural Development Broadband Technical Assistance Program, and according to DETCOG, Sanborn’s team “brings together experts in infrastructure, policy, engineering and community engagement to deliver a comprehensive roadmap for broadband expansion.”
Zelenak said that many parts of the region are still underserved, as far as broadband connectivity goes. One of DETCOG’s key goals in the past several years is to change that, with the goal of every home and business having access to reliable and affordable broadband.
Through DETCOG’s efforts, the entity was recognized by Broadband Communities, on its top 100 list of companies, entities and organizations that have made the biggest impacts this year, according to DETCOG executive director Lonnie Hunt.
DETCOG placed at number 88 on the nationwide list and was cited for “[putting] their pencils to paper to solve their region’s connectivity issues” and working to develop the long-term broadband strategy that it has prioritized.
Part of the broadband divide has been addressed at the legislative level in the 87th legislature, which established the Broadband Development Office through House Bill 5 to oversee the creation of a statewide broadband plan and to map out broadband access and affordability, statewide.
In addition to the survey, DETCOG also hosted three in-person meetings and one virtual meeting. The in-person meetings took place in San Augustine, Groveton, and in Woodville, following the regular board meeting.
