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Broadband Internet access surveys from residents and business owners in the Lake of the Ozarks area should help secure faster upload and download speeds for the future. The lake area had the highest response rate in the state on a survey conducted through MoBroadbandNow, a state government initiative.
Gov. Nixon created MoBroadbandNow with the goal to increase broadband accessibility in Missouri from its current level of 79 percent to 95 percent by the end of 2014. The entity partners with local planning groups in the process of identifying where broadband lines need to go. Locally, the Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments surveyed the information landscape.
“I just completed Phase II of the process, which included compiling sector survey information,” LOCLG Regional Planner Mac McNally said.
McNally used the data to put together a list of broadband access priorities with highlights from demographic areas like small business, industry and agricultural operations. The report from the Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments goes to the contractor that MoBroadbandNow retained to work in the Lake of the Ozarks area.
“Phase III will be meeting with the contractor, I believe our next meeting is sometime in August,” McNally said. “They’ll be directing us at that point on what to do. We’re primarily gathering information.”
McNally says the local participation in the project was very good, although people from some genres of business did not submit many responses.
“For the residential surveys, we got the highest response in the state,” McNally said. “For our sector surveys, we had some that were not well represented versus some that were highly represented. For example, small businesses — we had 34 responses.”
“Seeking community input is an important part of the planning process,” said MoBroadbandNow Director Damon Porter. “It’s critical to have an understanding of the local community’s needs in order to provide the tools that can allow them access to high-speed Internet. Broadband can benefit citizens in many ways such as applying for a job or earning a college degree online and from the comfort of one’s own home.”
Ultimately, the response in Camden, Miller and Morgan counties was good enough that the MoBroadbandNow contractor will be able to develop a plan to run fiber optic lines through the area and bring access to the underserved.
Broadband Internet access surveys from residents and business owners in the Lake of the Ozarks area should help secure faster upload and download speeds for the future. The lake area had the highest response rate in the state on a survey conducted through MoBroadbandNow, a state government initiative.
Gov. Nixon created MoBroadbandNow with the goal to increase broadband accessibility in Missouri from its current level of 79 percent to 95 percent by the end of 2014. The entity partners with local planning groups in the process of identifying where broadband lines need to go. Locally, the Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments surveyed the information landscape.
“I just completed Phase II of the process, which included compiling sector survey information,” LOCLG Regional Planner Mac McNally said.
McNally used the data to put together a list of broadband access priorities with highlights from demographic areas like small business, industry and agricultural operations. The report from the Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments goes to the contractor that MoBroadbandNow retained to work in the Lake of the Ozarks area.
“Phase III will be meeting with the contractor, I believe our next meeting is sometime in August,” McNally said. “They’ll be directing us at that point on what to do. We’re primarily gathering information.”
McNally says the local participation in the project was very good, although people from some genres of business did not submit many responses.
“For the residential surveys, we got the highest response in the state,” McNally said. “For our sector surveys, we had some that were not well represented versus some that were highly represented. For example, small businesses — we had 34 responses.”
“Seeking community input is an important part of the planning process,” said MoBroadbandNow Director Damon Porter. “It’s critical to have an understanding of the local community’s needs in order to provide the tools that can allow them access to high-speed Internet. Broadband can benefit citizens in many ways such as applying for a job or earning a college degree online and from the comfort of one’s own home.”
Ultimately, the response in Camden, Miller and Morgan counties was good enough that the MoBroadbandNow contractor will be able to develop a plan to run fiber optic lines through the area and bring access to the underserved.
