'A Historic Day': Oklahoma Broadband Office Working To Improve High-Speed Internet Accessibility In Rural Areas

The Oklahoma Broadband Office announced major improvements to ensure rural Oklahomans have the means and capability to access high-speed internet.

While high-speed internet is easy to access in Oklahoma's more developed areas, in rural areas, broadband access can be limited.

The office's executive director, Mike Sanders, said his bureau is using $374 million in funding across 55 Oklahoma counties to better service the state.

--- Transcript below:

Robin Marsh: For so many of us, access to high-speed internet really is just kind of a given. Maybe we even take it for granted.

Lacie Lowry: But for many Oklahomans in rural parts of the state, it's not a reality even in 2024, but that is changing. Joining us this morning, the executive director of the state's broadband office, Mike Sanders, Mike, you guys just announced a big development in getting access to all Oklahomans talk to us about that.

Mike Sanders: We did Lacie. About four weeks ago, Oklahoma, we announced the Oklahoma Governing Board announced $374 million that will be dispersed through 57 of the 77 counties, which is just a phenomenal feat. We have 31 Internet Service Providers that are going to be doing the work that's going to be servicing a little over 110,000 Oklahomans living mostly in rural Oklahoma that have never had high-speed internet, this is a historic, historic day for Oklahoma,

Robin Marsh: It is so important and even for safety reasons as well, correct?

Mike Sanders: Public safety, education, economic development, this is such a cool tool. Moving into that digital divide closing that digital divide this is this is going to be a game changer. I mean, as important as the Electrification Act of the 30s was to the highway system of the infrastructure of the 50s. This is our moment today. And we're excited to be where we are.

Robin Marsh: This is just phase one. Talk to us about what's next.

Mike Sanders: This was our first phase. This was our ARPA state and local fiscal recovery monies that the legislature appropriated for us. Coming up in the next two to three months, we're going to have what we call our capital funds project, that's about $159 million more going to high-speed internet infrastructure. And then the big one, is what we are calling our beat. And that's another $797.4 million going in to make high-speed internet a reality for Oklahoma.

Robin Marsh: We're talking over a billion dollars by the time this is all said and done. I mean, right there that gets your attention of the importance of this. What's the timeframe of just laying things down and where this will be active for folks in rural Oklahoma?

Mike Sanders: Well, our first phase of money that we just released a couple of weeks ago, they have within two years to not only get that built, but it has to be operational. So every one of these federal grant programs, we are on a timeline. So this office actually goes away in five years. So we're going to have not only have our programs announced the money appropriated, but these projects up and running. And so we've got a very small window for a very big project.

Lacie Lowry: What did COVID teach you very briefly.

Mike Sanders: If COVID taught us anything, we could run our billion-dollar business from our couch. But the key is you've got to be connected. Yeah, gotta be connected. Isn't that the truth? Thank you.