Realizing Broadband's Benefits

Kansas and its citizens realize that the opportunities that exist with broadband have not been fully embraced. Without sufficient broadband access and a high level of technology adoption, Kansas communities and residents will remain technologically and economically crippled in today's digital world.

The Kansas Department of Commerce is leading an initiative to increase broadband Internet access throughout rural Kansas. The initiative, titled Connect Kansas, is funded primarily by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has invested $7.2 billion to help states expand broadband access to underserved communities.

This investment will go toward (1) helping states map their current broadband capacity and (2) providing federal grants and loans to qualified organizations involved in expanding broadband to rural areas.