JOHNSON COUNTY — Johnson County residents are encouraged to review their broadband availability and provide input through a new map released by the State of Iowa.
The Broadband Availability Map identifies broadband coverage by individual address locations, showing whether broadband service greater or equal to 100 Mbps (megabits per second) download speed / 20 Mbps upload speed is available. Johnson County residents are invited to review the map and submit a challenge if broadband information about their household is incorrect by Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
The map is available at https://iowa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f454e1dd4e1c405787b5f35c56bcfee3. Residents may challenge the map at their home or business address to report service that is unavailable, slow, or unreliable. Instructions for submitting a challenge are available on the right side of the map as well as at https://ocio.iowa.gov/broadband-availability-map-version-5?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#Challenge.
The map will be used for future state and federal funding allocations in broadband.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has identified broadband as an important area of needed infrastructure investment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Johnson County residents needed to or were required to work from home. Additionally, a number of area schools suspended in-person instruction and transitioned to online or hybrid learning. Many healthcare providers moved to online appointments to conduct non-emergency medical appointments. The increase in online use and demand caused a significant strain on area broadband internet capabilities.
Johnson County has invested $50,000 in ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to assess the broadband internet capabilities, needs, and deficiencies in the county. This map will help leverage those dollars with further state and federal funding in broadband infrastructure.