ARTICLE
Columbia County Launches Columbia Connected as Part of a Statewide Initiative in Mapping Broadband Connectivity (Lake City, FL) – The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners is undertaking a statewide initiative in an effort to provide broadband access throughout the County. The Columbia Connected campaign launched this week to promote the connectivity survey which collects data to map residential and business internet access countywide. With a multitude of internet providers serving rural Columbia County and Lake City, the project will concentrate on establishing which areas of the County have internet service that meets state and federal guidelines, and where there are service gaps. During the early COVID shut-down stages of the pandemic, many families and businesses were sent into unfamiliar territory where connectivity was more important than ever, and many found the internet services they had to be inadequate. The effects of these setbacks are yet to be fully determined. “This is a big opportunity for Columbia County to make internet access available to all of the kids and businesses in our community, but we need everyone to take the survey to help make it happen,” says Toby Witt, District 4 County Commissioner and Broadband Committee Chairman. “During COVID so many of our kids were not able to connect and keep up with schoolwork because local providers do not provide internet access countywide.” With commerce and the future of education now heavily reliant on digitization, connectivity has taken a precedence in the state with funding for connectivity studies extending from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Federal Sources for this project. Columbia County has stepped forward to join the initiatives and be ahead of the curve by launching the publicity campaign Columbia Connected to encourage residents to self-report their internet upload and download speeds. Residents are encouraged to visit www.ColumbiaCountyFLA.com and take the “Internet Speed Test Survey” on the home page. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaCountyFlorida.
Columbia County Launches Columbia Connected as Part of a Statewide Initiative in Mapping Broadband Connectivity
(Lake City, FL) – The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners is undertaking a statewide initiative in an effort to provide broadband access throughout the County. The Columbia Connected campaign launched this week to promote the connectivity survey which collects data to map residential and business internet access countywide. With a multitude of internet providers serving rural Columbia County and Lake City, the project will concentrate on establishing which areas of the County have internet service that meets state and federal guidelines, and where there are service gaps.
During the early COVID shut-down stages of the pandemic, many families and businesses were sent into unfamiliar territory where connectivity was more important than ever, and many found the internet services they had to be inadequate. The effects of these setbacks are yet to be fully determined.
“This is a big opportunity for Columbia County to make internet access available to all of the kids and businesses in our community, but we need everyone to take the survey to help make it happen,” says Toby Witt, District 4 County Commissioner and Broadband Committee Chairman. “During COVID so many of our kids were not able to connect and keep up with schoolwork because local providers do not provide internet access countywide.”
With commerce and the future of education now heavily reliant on digitization, connectivity has taken a precedence in the state with funding for connectivity studies extending from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Federal Sources for this project. Columbia County has stepped forward to join the initiatives and be ahead of the curve by launching the publicity campaign Columbia Connected to encourage residents to self-report their internet upload and download speeds. Residents are encouraged to visit www.ColumbiaCountyFLA.com and take the “Internet Speed Test Survey” on the home page.
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaCountyFlorida.