Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana Broadband Office designates five new Broadband Ready Communities
INDIANAPOLIS – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, the Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) announce Ohio and Dearborn Counties, the Town of Moore’s Hill, the Town of Dillsboro and the City of Rising Sun as the newest Broadband Ready Communities. The designations were announced at a press briefing with each community.
“Communities like these are exemplary in broadband readiness, especially paired with their collaborative approach,” said Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Ohio and Dearborn Counties, the Town of Moore’s Hill, the Town of Dillsboro and the City of Rising Sun have all taken a critical step to invest in and prioritize quality-of-life through broadband expansion. Congratulations to all the local leaders and residents. This is an impressive accomplishment for each community.”
The Broadband Ready Communities Program was created as a tool to encourage broadband development throughout Indiana. The Broadband Ready Community certification sends a signal to the telecommunication industry that a community has taken steps to reduce barriers to broadband infrastructure investment.
The certification was approved by IBO and OCRA following Ohio and Dearborn Counties, the Town of Moore’s Hill, the Town of Dillsboro and the City of Rising Sun’s each individual adoption of Broadband Ready Community ordinances.
“In becoming Broadband Ready Communities, Dearborn County, Ohio County, the City of Rising Sun, the Town of Dillsboro, and the Town of Moore’s Hill, have all taken steps to reduce barriers to broadband infrastructure investment. Reducing the regulatory hurdles that deter investment is a key step towards creating an environment ripe for broadband investment to help all our homes and business get connected,” said leadership from each community in a joint comment. (Commissioner Jim Thatcher of Dearborn County, Commissioner Connie Brown of Ohio County, Mayor Steve Slack of the City of Rising Sun, and the Town Council members of the Town of Moore’s Hill and the Town of Dillsboro.)
Earnie Holtrey, Deputy Director at the Indiana Broadband Office, congratulated all five Broadband Ready Communities at the press briefing, touting each of their efforts and their unified dedication to increasing broadband accessibility in 2023.
“Communities who come together and embark upon bettering their communities in tandem with one another are impacting the lives of Hoosiers in great ways,” said Holtrey. “This is an incredible example for our BBRC program. Congratulations!”
To-date, 82 communities across the state are now BBRC.
“Today, five new communities have joined the growing list of BBRC across the state. This is an incredible milestone for each community, the region and the state,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner.