Jefferson County Broadband Assessment and What’s Next
Where we are…
In working to improve broadband service and availability in Jefferson County, the County and its partners the City of Madras and The Bean Foundation, commissioned a broadband assessment and strategic plan in November 2021. Strategic Networks Group was contracted to assess the broadband landscape and provide insight into broadband demand and opportunities, as well as recommendations to achieve Jefferson County’s goals of economic development and quality of life improvements through broadband.
The Jefferson County Broadband Assessment and Strategic Plan, linked here, was completed March 2023 and includes identification of areas of need and cost estimates for improving digital infrastructure. Bridging digital divides is not just about building-out broadband to unserved and underserved areas, but also raising awareness and providing technical support for local businesses and residents to get the most out of online practices.
In partnership with a local service provider, Jefferson County submitted a broadband project funding application for a nearly $20 million dollar project delivering affordable high-speed internet service to 1821 unserved and underserved locations within the county. More information about the Broadband Deployment Program(BDP) is available at Oregon Broadband Office webpage, with award announcements expected late 2024.
Next steps…
The next steps for Jefferson County involves actively pursuing these goals:
- Review and implement the strategic plan, as well as explore with local stakeholders how Jefferson County can benefit from being connected
- Plan with local businesses and residents how broadband and online practices can help grow Jefferson County through online workforce and skills training, drive digital innovation for households and businesses, and cultivate new ways of working together
- Continue to evaluate available broadband funding opportunities, including BEAD and Digital Equity programs
- Setup and implement local pilot programs supporting precision agriculture and telehealth services
The map below displays broadband availability by census block in Jefferson County. This includes partially served, unserved, and underserved census blocks which are needed to identify areas eligible for broadband funding. Clicking the link opens interactive mapping where you can zoom in and out, identify local cell towers and see community anchor institutions (government, schools, healthcare facilities). Click here for interactive map version (note: this will open a new window).
For more information, please contact Lyndsay Hessel (Lyndsay.hessel [at] co.jefferson.or.us (Lyndsay[dot]hessel[at]co[dot]jefferson[dot]or[dot]us))