Orange County is looking for your input on ways to improve internet access throughout the county.

Information Technology Director Jim Northrup says officials are trying to address a long-standing problem.

“We’ve known for years that internet does not span all of Orange County,” says Northrup. “We have a new County Mananger and she wanted to put a little more effort into trying to define the problem and come up with a solution.”

Now, officials hope to hear from as many Orange County residents as possible about the cost and quality of their broadband service. They’ve posted an online survey to gauge how you use the internet and where you live. Northrup says that location component is crucial to demonstrate the need to service providers.

“What we’re trying to do is develop a map and then, through public-private partnerships, actually present this map to internet service providers and say, ‘See, here’s 30 potential customers on this map and your infrastructure is only five miles away, why don’t you go ahead and try to supply service to those 30 customers?’”

Take the survey here.

Because this survey is designed to get responses from folks who don’t have adequate internet access, there are paper copies available at the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough and the Cybrary in Carrboro, as well as a phone survey. Call 919-245-2294 if you need information about where to pick up a paper copy, or if you’d like to complete the survey over the phone.

Northrup says once areas are identified that lack reliable internet access, Orange County may be eligible for state and federal funding to help extend broadband service.

The deadline to respond to the county survey is August 1.

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