Cornhusker State News

LINCOLN, NE – On June 27, Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Patrick Haggerty as the state’s first broadband director. Haggerty will lead the Nebraska Broadband Office established by Executive Order No 23-02 and LB 683 which will coordinate broadband deployment across the state. Reflective of the significance of this position for Nebraska, Governor Pillen established the Office of the Director of Broadband as part of his executive Cabinet.

“Patrick’s many years of executive level experience in the telecommunications and government relations fields uniquely positions him to lead our efforts to bring reliable and affordable high-speed internet to all Nebraskans,” said Gov. Jim Pillen. “The Broadband Office will connect Nebraska, coordinating efforts across state and federal programs to ensure there is an innovative vision and execution capable of bringing broadband services to our rural communities.”

“We are at a pivotal time, where a strategic and coordinated approach to broadband deployment is vital,” said Patrick Haggerty. “As someone who grew up in Nebraska and built a career serving rural America, I am thankful for the opportunity to return to Nebraska with a focus of bringing high-speed internet to all Nebraskans.”

Haggerty brings almost three decades of experience to this role, having served in a variety of positions with Qwest Communications, CenturyLink and Charter Communications. He most recently served as the regional senior director for State Government Affairs over Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota. Haggerty will assume his new duties July 17.   

The Nebraska Broadband Office will oversee the roughly $405 million awarded to Nebraska through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The office, supported by the Nebraska Department of Transportation (DOT), is currently collecting public input for the five-year action plan that will inform Nebraska’s proposal for the execution of BEAD funds.  

Haggerty will join Governor Pillen and fellow directors K.C. Belitz from the Department of Economic Development (DED), and Vicki Kramer of DOT, for a fly around on July 6 to outline his administration’s approach for connecting Nebraska. Details about specific locations and times for that event will be announced soon.

The Broadband Office, along with DOT, the Nebraska Information Technology Commission (NITC) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) continue to host public meetings across Nebraska, to provide and seek input about the quality and availability of internet access. Several upcoming meetings remain.

Public Meetings on Broadband Expansion

• South Sioux City – June 29, 5:30 PM; South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront, 385 E 4th St
• Lincoln – July 11, 5:30 PM; NDOT Auditorium, 1500 Nebraska Pkwy
• Omaha – July 12, 5:30 PM; NDOT State Operations Ctr., 4425 S 108th St

Meetings are open to the public and will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about broadband programs and buildout and provide input into digital access, affordability, and need for technical skills resources to create equitable distribution of resources. For those who are unable to attend and want to learn more about high-speed internet access in Nebraska, visit https://broadband.nebraska.gov/Home to review information and provide feedback. 

The link to Executive Order No. 23-02: http://govdocs.nebraska.gov/docs/pilot/pubs/eofiles/23-02.pdf

Original source can be found here