Kansas officials worry the state will lose part of its share of a $42.5 billion federal investment in broadband expansion because the Federal Communications Commission commissioned a “grossly inadequate” map of existing services. The map, released in late November, shows broadband is available everywhere in Kansas. The state faces a Jan. 13 deadline to challenge the map by encouraging residents to self-report discrepancies with it. The federal broadband investment is part of the massive infrastructure package Congress passed last year. Grant money will be allocated to states based on the need for broadband services. Staff members from the state broadband office explained the challenge during a forum Monday at the Kansas Health Institute about broadband access and telehealth. Kimberlyn Jones, digital equity program manager for the state, said the FCC map is “somewhat grossly inadequate, and based on the information on that mapping, that determines how much the state can get.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
