Oklahoma Broadband Office

Join our team! The office is looking to for a Deputy General Counsel to support our important work. Check out the job description at this link: https://lnkd.in/gZ9Ydxqe

Director Mike Sanders continued the tradition of the office showing its support for rural Oklahoma at last evening’s Oklahoma Youth Expo. Kudos to Blakeley Stephens of Okarche and her steer, Scotch, for showing well! High-speed internet expansion in communities like Blakeley’s will empower the next generation of America’s farmers. #NationalAgDay

While in the nation's capital, Director Sanders provided a status update on broadband expansion to Oklahoma's Congressional delegation, including Congresswoman Stephanie Bice.

The OBO was in Washington D.C. this week to attend the INCOMPAS Policy Summit where federal and state officials, including new Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr and Louisiana's Executive Director Veneeth Iyengar, provided important updates on the government's broadband policy priorities and expectations. Director Mike Sanders was grateful to meet Chairman Carr and share some of the exciting work already underway in the Sooner State.

The OBO’s Chief Strategic Officer Edyn Rolls spoke on a panel at Connected America this afternoon. In the post-ACP world, what does affordability look like for lower income customers and communities? The panel discussed lessons learned from the program and how other federal programs address the need.

The office was in Veterans’ Colony in Latimer County today celebrating the launch of five projects totaling $11.4 million. AT&T will be connecting 2,760 homes and businesses with broadband via fiber optic technology. Director Mike Sanders was joined by various state and local officials to commemorate the launch, including Rep. Jim Grego, Latimer County Commissioner Jaden Petty, Lance Browder, PMP, ITIL v3 with Choctaw Nation, Field Representative Laramie Cochran and Field Representative Lacey Pitman. Also in attendance were veterans and residents of Veterans’ Colony who will benefit from the improved connectivity. We are grateful for their service to our nation. Many thanks to President Steve Hahn, Jason Constable and the rest of the AT&T team for the great event.

The office was in Veterans’ Colony in Latimer County today celebrating the launch of five projects totaling $11.4 million. AT&T will be connecting 2,760 homes and businesses with broadband via fiber optic technology. Director Mike Sanders was joined by various state and local officials to commemorate the launch, including Rep. Jim Grego, Latimer County Commissioner Jaden Petty, Lance Browder, PMP, ITIL v3 with Choctaw Nation, Field Representative Laramie Cochran and Field Representative Lacey Pitman. Also in attendance were veterans and residents of Veterans’ Colony who will benefit from the improved connectivity. We are grateful for their service to our nation. Many thanks to President Steve Hahn, Jason Constable and the rest of the AT&T team for the great event.

And that's a wrap for OBO's all-day BEAD workshop! For the morning session we listened to feedback from Tribal entities and discussed the important partnerships needed to navigate potential challenges, including permitting processes. The afternoon session gave internet service providers a walkthrough of the subgrantee selection process — from NET development all the way through BEAD application submission and processing. Lastly, we were grateful to be joined by Special Agent Zechariah G. with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General who detailed compliance expectations and best practices for potential grant recipients. We appreciate the robust participation and will soon make today's discussions available on our website.

Director Mike Sanders sat down for a phone interview with Jerry Bohnen of OKEnergyToday.com this afternoon to discuss broadband expansion projects underway and a whole lot more in the pipeline.

With 91% of Oklahoma’s broadband expansion areas showing a negative net present value, the state is taking a proactive, data-driven approach to bridge the gap. In this Broadband Heroes clip, we hear from Director Mike Sanders and Chief Strategic Officer Edyn Rolls on how the Oklahoma Broadband Office is using a unique Request for Information (RFI) process to ensure every underserved area gets a bid before funding even opens—eliminating guesswork and wasted time. Learn how this streamlined approach is accelerating broadband deployment and setting a new standard for other states. https://lnkd.in/gyW-Ji_a #BroadbandHeroes