903-218-6400
3800 Stone Road
Kilgore, TX 75662
BROADBAND STUDY
& ACTION PLAN
Rural Broadband Funding Solutions
ETCOG has been seeking rural broadband funding solutions for the East Texas Region since 2009.
In 2019, ETCOG was awarded $375,000 by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support the development of a regional broadband strategic plan for its 14-county East Texas Region.
Our Strategy
ETCOG, through its East Texas Economic Development District (ETEDD), will utilize the grant to help the region capitalize on its strengths and opportunities related to long-term economic development, create or enhance an environment conducive to job growth, and improve infrastructure and overall community development to improve the quality of life. We launched the Broadband Strategic Planning Initiative in the winter of 2020 with the help of our contractors, TDC2 as a primary consultant and Design Nine as our broadband network planner. With the $375,000 grant, ETCOG and its local economic development partner agencies have committed to an additional investment of $161,000 in local matching funds for total project funding of $536,000.
Project Approach
ETCOG is taking a grassroots approach, going county by county to identify critical broadband needs. ETCOG staff has been working with each county to rank and prioritize projects that business leaders and broadband providers have proposed to address the identified needs. The final plan includes three to five top-rated projects in each county, with associated budgets required to implement each project.
Project Status Report
See the status of your county's broadband plan.
| Broadband Study Completed | Projects Identified & Planning Completed | Total Projects Planned | Cost Estimate for Implementation | Governing Body Adoption | Finalized Report | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | $21,755,108 | Amended July 31, 2023 | Anderson County Study & Action Plan |
| Camp | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | $2,503,274 | November 30, 2022 | Camp County Study & Action Plan |
| Cherokee | ✔ | ✔ | 3 | $11,202,137 | February 28, 2023 | Cherokee County Study & Action Plan |
| Gregg | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | $2,675,619 | July 18, 2022 | Gregg County Study & Action Plan |
| Harrison | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | $20,638,525 | August 30, 2022 | Harrison County Study & Action Plan |
| Henderson | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | $24,031,297 | TBD | |
| Marion | ✔ | ✔ | 5 | $3,717,086 | April 10, 2023 | Marion County Study & Action Plan |
| Panola | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | $22,321,912 | August 29, 2023 | Panola County Study & Action Plan |
| Rains | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | $3,916,546 | October 27, 2022 | Rains County Study & Action Plan |
| Rusk | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | $14,975,706 | December 20, 2022 | Rusk County Study & Action Plan |
| Smith - Whitehouse | ✔ | ✔ | 1 | $2,497,013 | December 12, 2023 | Smith County Study & Action Plan |
| Upshur | ✔ | No Projects | 0 | $0 | NA | Upshur County Broadband Study |
| Van Zandt | ✔ | ✔ | 6 | $37,566,827 | November 23, 2022 | Van Zandt County Study & Action Plan |
| Wood | ✔ | ✔ | 4 | $683,762 | January 24, 2023 | Wood County Study & Action Plan |
| TOTALS | 65 | $168,484,762 |
Completed Planning in All 14 Counties
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Regional Forums
ButtonOur team conducted four regional forums to gain feedback and answer questions about the project. These were well attended by stakeholders and service providers.
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Data Collection
ButtonInformation has been collected on the availability and capacity of all internet service providers in the region. Mapping of available infrastructure is completed in all counties.
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Local Planning
ButtonDecisions for this project have been discussed and ranked with local elected officials. County-specific reports, with projects selected and planned by their elected officials have been completed for the entire region.
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Next steps...
Roll out Finalized Regional Broadband Strategic Plan
Once completed, we will share the Strategic Plan for our use or any area partners to support their efforts.
Apply for Broadband Funding
With a plan of action completed, this will allow us to submit as many grant applications as possible to fund as many broadband development projects as possible.
Meet Our Team
We are here to assist with questions and to help facilitate the broadband strategic planning in your area.
David Cleveland
Executive
Director
Michelle Cahal
GIS Services Program Manager
Lynda David
Economic Development Specialist
Rebecca Gage
Economic Development Grant Specialist