Wayne County issued the following announcement on Sept. 10.
The Wayne County Commissioners expect to make some significant investments in the expansion of high-speed broadband internet services in light of the American Recovery Act funds received from the federal government.
The Commissioners are in the process of forming a task force to provide the strategic leadership for this historic opportunity to invest in local infrastructure, but broadband presents a unique set of challenges.
It involves not only complex infrastructural and technological elements, but also emergent technology. In the post COVID era, broadband – especially in rural areas - has become the darling of state, federal and other funding programs.
To insure Wayne County can take full advantage of these opportunities, the commissioners seek professional services from a firm or individual to assist the County and its partners in the implementation of Broadband strategies.
Late last year, the Commissioners brought together the local Internet Service Providers to identify quick-turnaround projects for 2020 CARES Act disbursements. Other identified projects could not be accomplished in the brief implementation period, plus the Technology Committee has been working on Community Solutions related to Broadband for several years.
Representatives from County government, Economic and Workforce Development, Public Schools, Libraries and Business have conducted studies and engaged professional services to propose projects and solutions.
Wayne County and municipal and community partners want to secure a contract for IT/Broadband Implementation Professional Services to secure affordable and accessible broadband services. The successful candidate or firm will also help provide access to funding and assistance with grant writing.
The contract has been made possible through an anonymously funded local grant from the Wayne County Community Foundation. The Request for Proposals can be found at www.WayneCountyPA.gov and the deadline for submission is Tuesday, Sept. 14.
Original source can be found here.
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