TOPEKA– Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. today announced the appointment of Stanley Adams as Director of Broadband Initiatives at the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Mr. Adams, who previously served as Director of Statewide Broadband Initiatives with the Department of Commerce from 2010 to 2015, will work on continuing to identify broadband needs across Kansas – focusing heavily on broadband access problems facing many rural areas across the state.
“Closing the digital divide between rural and urban Kansas is vital, not just for the residents of those rural communities but for businesses considering locating there,” said Governor Colyer. “Mr. Adams is an expert in the issues surrounding broadband access throughout Kansas and having him onboard to spearhead broadband initiatives will improve the lives of Kansans while helping revitalize our rural communities.”
Over 930,000 Kansans live in rural communities, which is equivalent to over thirty-two percent of the state population. Providing high-speed internet service to the residents of these areas is both critical for improving their lifestyles as well as enhancing economic development efforts to attract new industry to start and grow in rural Kansas.
“It’s difficult to run a successful business of any size – from a local doctor to a large manufacturing plant – without access to high-speed broadband,” said Mr. Adams. “To reverse the population decline in many rural areas, we must be proactive in increasing broadband access across the state.”
This past legislative session, Governor Colyer signed legislation creating a broadband task force focused on mapping locations across the state with problematic broadband access and developing plans to address those needs. Mr. Adams will collaborate with this task force to update those maps which display the level of broadband speed that is available in areas across the state.
