Texas Takes Aim at Access, Adoption, and Use

By Jeremy Thacker, Communications Specialist, Connected Texas

There’s a new whirlwind of excitement energizing the Connected Texas initiative. That’s the official word after Monday’s meeting with the state’s Broadband Task Force members.

“Everybody involved with Connected Texas at the state level has been very supportive of our mission,” said Connected Texas Executive Director Don Shirley. “We’re anxious to see how we can work together with each of them.”

Shirley took Monday’s meeting in Austin as an opportunity to reiterate Connected Texas’ intensified focus on bringing about better broadband access, adoption, and use across the state.

“We are busy lining up partnerships with several statewide agencies in order to turn our goals into reality,” said Shirley. “We’ve already engaged the Public Utility Commission, the Texas Association of Regional Councils, the State Library, and the Department of Agriculture so we can discuss our tactical needs and see to what extent each of these agencies can support our mission.”

Similar meetings with other agencies are expected to take place over the next several weeks. The meetings will help form a long-term engagement plan for the Connected Texas project that can be implemented on the community and regional levels across the state.