Through the Connected Community Engagement Program we have put together a plan for broadband access, use, and engagement. This is the first time our area has looked at improving broadband access and it’s been a tremendous tool in building improved access for the future.

We thought we’d benefit from finding out where we stood. The whole point of the certification process is to identify strengths and weaknesses. Frankly, even if you didn’t get to the certification, you would still get a blueprint for moving forward to eliminate those weaknesses.

Connected Nation’s community outreach and education programs have proven to be highly effective in Michigan’s continued strides toward more broadband connectivity and ultimately our state’s economic prosperity.

St. Clair County was the third in Michigan and the sixth in the nation to obtain Connected certification. Along with certification, the county worked collaboratively on developing the St. Clair County Technology Action Plan. Our Action Plan is a roadmap for our broadband future. It details our current status and clearly outlines steps to take in order to fill the broadband gaps in the county. We are currently addressing the recommendations laid out in the plan. An unexpected benefit to our broad…

Community Technology Advisors provide independent community broadband education across the state through the Connected Community Engagement Program by working in the best interest of communities.

Manchester was recently recognized as an “Iowa Connected Community” and I was part of the team that gathered the information and created the plan for future improvements. To the best of my knowledge this was the first time that anyone in our area has made an effort to gather information about the existing broadband access and to think about what will be needed for the future. I knew very little about the availability and scope of the internet services within our community as we entered thi…

Broadband access is a crucial component of economic development. The Connected community certification program will facilitate the building of a comprehensive action plan for developing a technology-ready community.

Over the past thirteen months, Cherokee County has been working closely with Connected in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the broadband system in our county. I have been very impressed with their professionalism, with the depth of their knowledge base, the data they have at their disposal, and their research capability. The experience they bring from working with other communities that are striving to expand broadband infrastructure and usage has been invaluable to us.

The communities served by the regional planning commission have benefited from the Connected Community Engagement Program. The program provided us with direct assistance from a staff member, innovative research, access to providers, broadband GIS mapping, and numerous other services and resources that were necessary and critical to the development of our county Technology Action Plans.

With guidance from Connected staff, we were able to bring key players to the table, conduct a community assessment and set priorities for moving forward to a high-speed future. In the months since, we have continued conversations and made progress towards some very exciting developments that I believe would not have been possible with the project.