Floyd County completes technology plan, becomes Certified Connected Community

Floyd County completes technology plan, becomes Certified Connected Community

Plan aims to boost economy, improve quality of life

To the Press

Floyd County is now a certified Connected community in Iowa. The Floyd County Technology Planning Team and Connect Iowa are releasing the county’s Technology Action Plan.

“The array of facets within the Connect Iowa process allowed us to benchmark our current capacities and capabilities and plan for future broadband investment and training,” said Tim Fox, executive director of the Charles City Area Development Corporation. “Our Technology Action Plan calls for enhanced broadband competition as well as a broadband awareness campaign. Without the counsel of Connect Iowa we never would have achieved our evaluative and implementation goals.

“As a certified Connected community, Floyd County has established a pathway to improve broadband provision to rural communities while vibrantly connecting the educational, business, and governmental sectors via broadband.”

Connect Iowa has been working with Floyd County on the Connected Community Engagement Program. This initiative assesses the local broadband landscape, identifi es connectivity gaps, and establishes technology-driven goals and objectives to increase broadband access, adoption, and use for families, organizations, and businesses throughout the community.

Floyd County has met the requirements necessary to achieve certified Connected community status.

Floyd County has identified four priority projects in its Technology Action Plan that provide step-by-step measurable goals geared toward furthering broadband development in the community. Floyd County is pursuing studying and possibly reassessing major telecom purchase contracts, distributing digital literacy content, implementing a community-based technology awareness program, and working to create local jobs via teleworking opportunities.

“Congratulations to Floyd County for earning its certified Connected distinction and for using broadband technology to create local jobs,” said Tom Ferree, president of Connected Nation, Connect Iowa’s parent company. “In 2016, federal programs will invest over $10 billion in broadband nationally, and, working with Governor Branstad, Connect Iowa is ready to make sure that that investment benefits as much of Iowa as possible.

And when that happens, local communities like Floyd County that have planned for this broadband revolution will benefit the most.”

The other communities in Iowa that have received this certification (in order) are Indianola, Webster City, West Des Moines, Black Hawk County, Creston, Fairfield, Osceola, Urbandale, Manning, Grinnell, Knoxville, Story County, Bremer County, Manchester, Bloomfield, Ogden, Charles City, Cherokee County, Woodbine, Wright County, Oelwein, and Jones County.