Community Broadband Plan

COMPLETED BROADBAND PLAN

Summit County Government Local Broadband Plan

Summit County received a $30,000 grant to create a county-wide broadband plan. The purpose of the plan was to identify areas where improvements in broadband service and figure out some of the barriers that create the gaps. 

Key Strategies in the Plan

  1. Explore Partnerships with ISPs
  2. Review Broadband Permitting and Regulations
  3. Marketing Broadband Services and Programs 

Utah Broadband Center Resources

Utah Internet Speed Test - Test the speed of internet at your residence to help identify areas without adequate internet access.  The Internet Speed Test is available in English and Spanish. For individuals who do not have access to the internet, please participate by calling 1-435-777-TEST (8378).

Affordable Connectivity Program - A program provides up to $30 a month to eligible households to pay for internet access.

Background

On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law. This Act included a $65 billion investment in high-speed broadband internet infrastructure and efforts to close the digital divide in order to ensure that all Americans have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet.

Included in the IIJA was the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The BEAD Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs throughout the United States.

This grant program will include two phases, with funding in each phase. The first phase is planning and the second is implementation. The state of Utah was awarded $5 million to support both the creation of a state-wide 5-Year Action Plan and provide funding for local communities to create Local Broadband Plans.

Utah’s Five-Year Action Plan is being developed in accordance with both the Federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program requirements and the Federal Digital Equity Program requirements. The Five-Year Action Plan establishes Utah’s broadband goals and priorities and serves as a comprehensive needs assessment. The state Five-Year Plan, which will include your Local Broadband Plan, will be a critical tool for the distribution of federal funding for broadband projects in Utah over the next five years.