Purdue University announced on October 9 that its newly formed Broadband Team will help Indiana residents, businesses, and leaders expand broadband access, adoption, and use in every county across the state. According to Purdue President Mung Chiang, the Purdue Broadband Team is a joint effort by the university, the Indiana Broadband Office, and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
“The lack of affordable high-speed broadband affects economic development and quality of life in various communities in our state,” Chiang said. “Continuing our long-standing tradition as Indiana’s land-grant institution, Purdue is honored to play a small and hopefully useful role as the state government plans the next-level broadband deployment.”
The Purdue Broadband Team will be led by Roberto Gallardo, Purdue vice president for engagement and director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development, and includes Purdue Extension personnel, students, 4-H members, and alums. “Purdue is a long-standing and trusted partner across Indiana. With those community relationships, we want to increase awareness about the tools that are available to improve high-speed broadband access, adoption, and use by making broadband data more accurate,” Gallardo said.
Although the university will not provide service or infrastructure, it will work to educate residents in the state’s 92 counties about how to use broadband at work and home. Working at a community level, the Purdue Broadband Team will help increase awareness of tools to verify service (speed tests and service maps), provide training on digital literacy, and support community-led broadband efforts.
Gallardo added, “Accurate and up-to-date information is a critical piece of the puzzle. Local broadband groups and the state can run into challenges with the data that is needed to support grant applications. For broadband funding to be allocated to Hoosier communities needing it the most, data must accurately reflect gaps in broadband connectivity.”
Indiana is prioritizing broadband expansion as it deploys $868 million in federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
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