Haywood
County Group Forms To Improve Local Technology
The latest broadband and technology is on its way to
Haywood County.
A team of local volunteers has joined a statewide effort
to bring high-speed Internet to every home, school, organization and business
in the state.
With fast Internet service, students can watch live
science experiments hundreds of miles away; doctors can get a quick second
opinion on an x-ray; and farmers can keep track of their livestock using small
radio tags.
The Haywood County eCommunity Leadership Team is dedicated
to making more technology available locally. The committee is part of
Tennessee’s plan to deliver statewide access to high-speed Internet, also
called broadband. Ultimately, the goal of the Trail to Innovation is to increase the number of
high-tech companies and jobs in Tennessee.
Haywood County is an area of Tennessee that is ripe for
technology advancement. Only 17% of Haywood County residents currently
subscribe to broadband, compared to 43% statewide. Through the eCommunity
Leadership process, Connected Tennessee will assess where broadband currently
exists and the areas where the demand for broadband is the greatest, while
working to share the benefits of broadband and technology and encourage
broadband adoption throughout Haywood County.
Eventually, every county will have its own technology
team. More than 15 local leaders already are involved in Haywood County’s eCommunity
Leadership Team. The team is now in the process of evaluating the current state
of technology in the county, determining what improvements are needed and
devising a plan for achieving goals.
The evaluation process is designed to provide a benchmark
for the community’s current readiness to participate in the enormous economic,
social, governmental and personal changes that high-speed communications
entail. More importantly, this guide provides a vision of specific steps and
actions the community—government, businesses, schools, community groups and
citizens—can take to benefit from these changes.
Community members interested in the project are welcome to
join future meetings. Volunteers represent the following areas:
·
Agriculture
·
Business
and industry
·
Community-based
organizations
·
Government
·
Healthcare
·
Higher
education
·
K-12
education
·
Libraries
·
Tourism,
recreation and parks
The meetings are organized by Connected Tennessee, a
non-profit group that is working to accelerate the availability and use of
technology throughout the state toward creating a better business environment,
more effective community and economic development, improved healthcare,
enhanced education and more efficient government.
Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith believes broadband
expansion is vitally important to the future of his county’s success and is
excited to see the opportunities for technological progress that the eCS
process will bring. He said: “Bringing broadband Internet to rural Haywood
County just makes sense. Technology will pave the way to a more thriving job
market and a brighter future for our county.”
The use of broadband technology is already enhancing the
lives and businesses of citizens all across the state. In fact, 49% of
Tennessee businesses say that broadband has already improved the success of
their business. Many companies cite the availability of broadband as essential
to starting or expanding their operations. Technology enables small business
people to live in a rural area and sell their products around the world. It
also enables large companies to work more efficiently.
Broadband also promises to boost the economy and quality
of life in Tennessee. For example, doctors can remotely monitor patients with
chronic illnesses, working parents can complete their college degrees by
attending classes online and tourists can make online reservations.
If you have suggestions regarding how technology in your
community can be improved upon to better serve the citizens of your county,
Connected Tennessee wants to hear from you. To learn more or to submit your
comments or ideas, please visit the Connected Tennessee website at www.connectedtn.org.
For more information about the project or to join the
Haywood County eCommunity Leadership Team, please contact Connected Tennessee
West Tennessee eCommunity Project Manager Deanna Ward at 731-699-0234 or dward@connectedtn.org.
The next meeting of the Haywood County eCommunity Leadership Team will
be: Tuesday, May
27th at 5:30 p.m., at Southwest Tennessee Electric Conference Room,
1009 East Main St., Brownsville