WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan met with Vice President Kamala Harris Tuesday and several other U.S. officials to discuss rural broadband issues.
Secretary Fagan said Oregon has to make progress to bridge the digital divide in our rural communities.
At the local level, an internet broadband survey was recently conducted in Jackson and Josephine Counties. The findings may not surprise you.
HR Green conducted the survey across both counties and presented their findings to county commissioners while Fagan met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
The consulting firm found broadband availability is well below state and federal averages.
The company reports that 75% of residents across these counties are getting download speeds of 27.8 Mbps per-second on average. That’s much worse than the statewide average of over 100 Mbps per second.
The company said this is problematic when half of the respondents say they use the internet to work from home.
HR Green then presented the commissioners with several funding opportunities to improve internet infrastructure in the Rogue Valley.
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