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Kansas Office of Broadband Development hosting roadshow stops in Pittsburg and Chanute (KS) this week

KRPS | By Fred Fletcher-Fierro
Published February 28, 2023 at 5:15 AM CST

According to a study by Pew Trusts, housing in rural areas, including low-income housing, is often spread out across greater distances than it is in urban regions. This increases the cost of building out the infrastructure needed to provide broadband access and means there are relatively few customers to subscribe to the service.

Later this week, the Kansas Office of Broadband Developmentwill hold open meetings in Chanute and Pittsburg. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

According to National Center for Educational Statistics data, Internet connectivity in American households depends on race and ethnicity. The lowest number of those who reported internet connectivity at home were Native Americans, with 83%. Whites reported 97% and Asians 99% internet connectivity at home.

The Kansas Office of Broadband Development wants you to share your thoughts on internet connectivity in your neighborhood. The workgroup has embarked on an eight-region tour of cities and towns throughout Kansas, including stops in four Native Sovereign nations within Kansas.

This Thursday, the first meeting will be held from noon to 1:30 pm in Chanute, at the Alliance Meeting Room: Memorial Building.

That will be followed by a discussion from 5:30 to 7 pm at Pittsburg’s Memorial Auditorium in downtown Pittsburg. Registration for both events is suggested; you can find the link at our website, KRPS.org. For 89 9 KRPS News, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro
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Kansas News State GovernmentPittsburgConsumersTechnologyEconomy
Fred Fletcher-Fierro
Since 2017 Fred Fletcher-Fierro has driven up Highway 171 through thunderstorms, downpours, snow, and ice storms to host KRPS’s Morning Edition. He’s also a daily reporter for the station, covering city government, elections, public safety, arts, entertainment, culture, sports and more. Fred has also spearheaded and overseen a sea change in programming for KRPS from a legacy classical station to one that airs a balance of classical, news, jazz, and cultural programming that better reflects the diverse audience of the Four States. For over two months in the fall of 2022 he worked remotely with NPR staff to relaunch krps.org to an NPR style news and information website.

In the fall of 2023 Fred was promoted to Interim General Manager and was appointed GM in Feburary of 2024.
See stories by Fred Fletcher-Fierro
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