Purdue will assist state with effort to expand broadband access and use

SOUTH BEND ― Purdue University President Mung Chiang believes that an accurate map of broadband access throughout the state is an important first step to ensuring that Indiana can grow and thrive in the future.

“It’s like electricity 100 years ago,” he said. “It is the foundation for our future. The foundation for growth, prosperity and quality of life. And now is the best time because there are federal and state resources coming.”

Chiang, who took over as university president on Jan. 1, met with a group of community leaders at Purdue’s Extension Office in downtown South Bend on Monday to introduce himself and announce the formation of a broadband team to help the state increase high-speed internet access and use.

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Chiang aims to visit all of Indiana’s 92 counties ― each of which has an Extension Office ― and he’s already more than midway through his goal after spending time here and at seven other locations on Monday.

“Wherever I go ― every county and region has a slightly different set of challenges and opportunities ―– but the topic that will always be brought up is the need for more broadband,” he said. “We need faster and better coverage.”

Affordable high-speed internet is important in rural areas because agriculture is increasingly dependent on technology, and lack of availability can hurt students and businesses no matter where they are located, Chiang explained, adding that it also could support telemedicine in places with limited healthcare options.

“For broadband, you need three steps,” he said. “You need to map it, build it and then you use it.”

To assist the state in the effort to improve access, Purdue has created a Broadband Team headed up by Roberto Gallardo, vice president of engagement and director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development. "We want to increase awareness about the tools that are available to improve high-speed broadband access, adoption and use by making broadband data more accurate," he said in a university release.

Through its network of Extension Offices, 4-H and other avenues, the Purdue team will get the word out on the proper tools that can be used to verify internet service and speed so that a map can be built in the coming months to help state lawmakers figure out how best to deploy some $868 million in federal money that’s available to improve broadband equity, access and deployment.

The state, which has its own Broadband Office, has been working for several years on expanding the availability and market penetration of high-speed internet, which became especially critical during the pandemic when many students in South Bend and other places were dependent on buses equipped with Wi-Fi so that they could attend classes and turn in assignments.

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Besides not having access to affordable broadband in rural areas, there’s also a problem with adoption and use in some urban areas and among the elderly, for example, because of financial, hardware or educational barriers.

Though decisions on how to build out infrastructure will be left to the state, Purdue also could assist community groups in the effort to increase penetration and adoption of broadband through digital literacy training for families and businesses.

“We’re here to help with the mapping step,” Chiang said, explaining that word will be getting out on how people can check and report their upload and download speeds as well as whether they even have access to broadband. “We believe that is a critical step to make sure the resources will be spent in the most impactful way for all Hoosiers.”

The university’s assistance with broadband expansion is just one of the items on Chiang’s agenda, which includes an airport for the greater Lafayette region, a hard-tech corridor for central Indiana and increased collaboration between the university and Washington.

Of those goals, broadband might be the most basic, ultimately leading to growth because of the opportunities it creates in education, business, healthcare and, ultimately, quality of life.

“It really is the foundation for growth, prosperity and quality of life, and in some cases, for very essential services such as medicine and education," Chiang said.

Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Purdue will assist in effort to expand broadband access and use