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Dunn County, Wis., Launches Broadband Survey in Funding Quest

The Dunn County Broadband Task Force is conducting a regional survey of residents to establish a plan to improve broadband access and grab a portion of federal funding earmarked for state broadband efforts.

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(TNS) — Dunn County residents should be on the lookout for surveys the county is sending to residents that will help determine where broadband service needs are the greatest.

The survey is being conducted by the Dunn County Broadband Task Force, formed this year to establish a plan to address broadband access in Dunn County. That work includes creating maps, outlining county broadband projects and identifying areas of weakness.

The county hopes the survey effort will bolster its desire to seek funds through the Public Service Commission's Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Local Planning Grant Program. The program allows eligible entities to receive funding for broadband planning activities as part of the state's five-year action plan to guide the distribution of $800 million to $1.2 billion of broadband funding the state could receive from the federal government.

The surveys were sent the week of May 7, said Dunn County Chief Information Officer Dan Dunbar.

"We need to find out where the problem areas are so we can target our resources to those areas," said Dunbar, who is also chair of the broadband task force.

Residents who receive the surveys are asked to fill them out and send them back promptly so the task force has reliable information about where the county needs better broadband service.

Residents who don't receive a survey or prefer to do it online can fill out a survey using the Dunn County Broadband Survey link on the Dunn County website.

Questions can be sent to broadband@co.dunn.wi.us.

The task force includes representatives of K-12 schools, municipal government, retirees, veterans, economic development and small business owners.

"We really need accurate information to make our best case for state funding," Dunbar said.

©2023 The Chippewa Herald, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.