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Atchison Co leaders look to upgraded internet future

By Brian Hagen

03/02/2023

(KAIR)--Federal grant funds will be used to provide faster internet service to underserved areas, with Kansas among the states set to receive a portion of those dollars.

Local leaders, including the Atchison County Commission, are watching as the funding develops, with the Commission Tuesday receiving an update on the details.

That information was delivered to the Commissioners, during their regular, weekly meeting, by Jason Smith, General Manager-CEO of Everest-based Rainbow Communications. “Kansas is looking to the BEAD funding, and that stands for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. They're estimating that Kansas is going to get about $202 million from this program to build out underserved, and unserved, areas."

Details of the how the funding will be administered to the program that includes Atchison County is currently unknown, with Smith saying it could be November until that information is released.

In an attempt to gain initial information pertaining to internet availability in Atchison County, an online speed test has been put in place.

According to a release from Commission Chair Casey Quinn, the survey is being conducted “in order to prove [the County-] shortfalls of reliable internet options in Atchison County,” saying that data is necessary in order to gain that information.

Quinn says the input gained through the survey “will assist with substantiating grant funding requests.”
The link to the survey can be found here.

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