Central Iowa Broadband Internet Survey Will Ensure Region Meets Resident Needs

On Wednesday, March 24, 2021 the Greater Des Moines Partnership, in coordination with public and private partners across 11 counties, launched the Central Iowa Broadband Internet Survey as part of our larger Central Iowa Broadband Study. The Study, which is expected to take nine months before the final report is completed in the Fall of 2021, will provide recommendations for infrastructure, policy and highest-impact solutions, including residential and business survey results, GIS data and a technical review of existing broadband infrastructure throughout the 11-county area. The purpose of The Study and Survey is to measure broadband internet availability and identify at the address level, where broadband does not currently meet consumer needs and expectations.

Affordable, Reliable Broadband

Early during the pandemic of 2020, it became abundantly clear that for work from home, telehealth, at home education, online shopping or entertainment, having access to affordable, reliable and high-quality broadband was not a luxury but a necessity that was needed in all corners of our region. Now as the federal government and the State of Iowa make plans for infrastructure spending, with particular focus on broadband, Greater Des Moines (DSM) will be in an enviable position to secure funding to ensure that planned projects can be built in a timely fashion to support business, people and communities.

Creating greater connectivity across the region has been spurred on in development in recent years with West Des Moines’ plans to invest nearly $40 million in a partnership with Google Fiber to bring to the city the ultra-fast network that is available in only 18 other U.S. cities. MetroNet, which provides high-speed fiber internet, is building a fiber optic network in Urbandale, Clive, Johnston and Ankeny in the DSM region.

In DSM, we know that having strong access to broadband across our region in our urban core and in our rural communities is critically important not just for today, but for the future. Our businesses compete globally, and ensuring that all in our community have equitable access through a proactive process is the most opportune way to guarantee that access can be achieved. This is not only true for the industries of today, but for the industries and connectivity yet to come.

Access the surveys on The Partnership’s website.

Want to learn more? Please see some recent news from our region in this newsletter and send an email or call to connect. Find me at the contact info below:

Brian Crowe
Executive Vice President, Economic Development
Greater Des Moines Partnership
(515) 286-4958
Send me an email.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Throughout Greater Des Moines’ (DSM’s) 10-county region, a thriving economic environment is attracting more Investors to do business. Learn more about other recent development projects in the region.

Discover more about The Partnership’s tools to help Greater Des Moines (DSM) startups and small businesses develop and grow their ventures with The Partnership’s Small Business Resources.

Count on the Greater Des Moines Partnership for economic recovery information and business and industry recommendations as the region moves forward from the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about current impacts and future trends from the DSM Forward playbooks here.