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Emphasis - October 28

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-991491.mp3

Quincy, IL – Jason Parrott's guest is Damon Porter. He is the director of MOBroadbandNow, a public/private partnership to expand broadband services in Missouri.

Governor Jay Nixon established MOBroadbandNow in 2009.

The organization's goal is to increase high speed internet accessibility to 95%, statewide, by the end of 2014.

The state currently sits at about 79%.

Porter says those numbers are deceiving, though, as roughly 33% of residents who can access broadband internet choose not to.

He says part of his organization's goal is to show the benefits of high-speed internet.

Porter says MOBroadbandNow sent out 76,000 surveys to help in the process of determining need and gaps in coverage.

He says 13,000+ responses came in, nearly doubling the original goal.

Porter says regional planning commissions will use the information to develop expansion plans, as opposed to a "cookie-cutter" statewide approach.

He says there are about 110 broadband providers in Missouri.

Porter believes competition will not be an issue because there is so much need out there for broadband.

You can hear more with Damon Porter of MOBroadbandNow by clicking the audio link above.