LINCOLN- A Transportation and Telecommunication Committee hearing held on Tuesday revealed what many in the state call the 'digital divide,' where at least 80,000-90,000 mostly rural locations still lack broadband internet service. To help alleviate this issue, Gov. Jim Pillen proposed the creation of a new state broadband office, headed by the Public Service Commission, that would help state funds reach previously uncovered areas.

Under Gov. Pillen's plan, a state broadband director and nine other staff would be housed within the Nebraska Department of Transportation with a proposed cost of $1.7 million a year. The State Broadband office would be tasked with determining exactly how many unserved farms and homes lie in Nebraska, and dole out funds accordingly.

Emily Haxby, a Gage County supervisor, said, "This is a good policy. It's good to see the governor recognize how important broadband is to the state." Representatives of the AARP, the League of Nebraska Municipalities, and the Nebraska Farm Bureau testified in favor of Pillen's plan, which was contained in LB683 and heard in Tuesday's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee hearing.

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