The State of Indiana is working to connect Hoosiers with broadband service. The Indiana Connectivity Program officially opens Monday.
Residents and business owners with slow or no internet will be able to submit their information. Internet service providers can then review those locations and submit bids to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, according to Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch.
“It’s not just homeowners,” Crouch tells MAX 98.3 FM News. “It can be businesses. It can be institutions like hospitals, schools. Anyone who is not connected or not getting adequate speed, this is their opportunity to be able to get that connection.”
Crouch says broadband has been a priority of Governor Holcomb’s administration for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the General Assembly to take efforts further. “All of a sudden, being connected was no longer a luxury,” she says. “It was essential because our workers were teleworking, our students were eLearning, and health care was being delivered telehealth.”
To qualify for the Indiana Connectivity Program, a location’s internet speed must be lower than 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. Crouch encourages those who are unsure of their speed to sign up anyway, and state officials will be able to help verify it. “We have maps in Indiana, but the broadband maps that we have that are FCC maps are not very accurate,” she explains. “So this is an opportunity for Hoosiers to help us identify those areas where we need to go in and connect Hoosiers.”
You can sign up starting Monday, September 27 at www.in.gov/ocra/broadband/icp/ or by calling 833-639-8522.
