DeKalb County Designated Broadband Ready Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Oct. 22, 2021


Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana Broadband Office designate
DeKalb County as a Broadband Ready Community

 

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 22, 2021) – Today, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Broadband Office announced that DeKalb County is now designated as an official Broadband Ready Community. The Broadband Ready Communities Program was created as a tool to encourage broadband development throughout Indiana.

 

The Broadband Ready Community certification sends a signal to the telecommunication industry that a community has taken steps to reduce barriers to broadband infrastructure investment. 

 

“Our administration remains focused on getting high-speed, reliable internet service to unserved and underserved Hoosiers,” Crouch said. “Congratulations to DeKalb County as it joins the more than 50 other Indiana communities that are now broadband ready. Other communities around our state have already benefited through the Broadband Ready Communities Program, and I am pleased to see DeKalb County and other neighboring communities in northeast Indiana recently remove barriers with the goal of attracting broadband investment.”

 

The certification was approved by the Indiana Broadband Office following the DeKalb County Commissioners adoption of a Broadband Ready Community ordinance.

 

“DeKalb County realizes to be on the cutting edge for innovation and dependable internet services, we need to welcome and encourage broadband internet throughout the County and region. The certification of a Broadband Ready Community shows that we are ready for the next step in furthering this goal,” said DeKalb County Commissioner William Hartman.

 

According to Earnie Holtrey, Project Manager at the Indiana Broadband Office, 2021 continues a record pace for community applications to the Broadband Ready Community program.

 

"The DeKalb County commissioners are to be commended on this special day, along with their residents, we celebrate this designation. Our office stands ready to provide technical assistance and share best practices as county leadership strives towards affordable and reliable broadband access to all,” said Holtrey.

 

Via 2020 legislation, the Broadband Ready Community Program was transitioned from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). IBO began the day-to-day management of the Broadband Ready Community Program on July 1, 2020.  For more information, visit in.gov/indianabroadband.

 

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Under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as the Secretary of Rural Development, the Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) mission is to assist residents in need of affordable and reliable broadband connectivity. This mission of reaching Hoosiers where they live, work and play is accomplished by communicating with stakeholders, providing resources to a diverse audience, and leveraging established relationships with elected officials, associations, and providers.
For more information, visit in.gov/broadband. 

 

 

 

 

    

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