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May 5, 2023

96 Areas for Broadband Zones Identified by Iowa Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, May 5, 2023
CONTACT: Kollin Crompton, (515) 745-2840, Kollin.Crompton@Governor.Iowa.gov

DES MOINES- Today, Governor Reynolds and the Department of Management’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) announced the results of the OCIO’s Invitation to Qualify. 96 Broadband Intervention Zones were identified by Iowa communities across the state from a total of 99 applications.

The ITQ process asked communities to propose areas across the State of Iowa that should be prioritized in funding decisions made under the Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program. In future grant opportunities, providers who apply for Empower Rural Iowa grant funds to construct service within these Broadband Intervention Zones may be eligible to receive enhanced incentives and higher prioritization for funding.

“While we have seen improvement, as Iowa rose twelve spots in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings for internet access, there is more work to be done,” said Governor Reynolds. “With input from Iowa communities across the state, 96 Broadband Intervention Zones will help bring strong, more reliable broadband to more areas – setting Iowa and Iowans up for success.”

Results for the ITQ are available here. For more information on the ITQ, the public may go to https://ocio.iowa.gov/broadband or e-mail ociogrants@iowa.gov for assistance.

Since 2018, the OCIO has coordinated the Empower Rural Iowa Grant program to accelerate broadband expansion in unserved and underserved locations across the State of Iowa. Through seven grant opportunities, $352,850,022 in state and federal funding was awarded to bring broadband service to 109,126 homes, schools and businesses in Iowa. The total new broadband investment between public and private money is $791,203,995.

February 2, 2023

Iowa Communities Invited to Identify Areas of Need for Future Broadband Investment

DES MOINES -- Today, Governor Reynolds and the Department of Management’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) announced the release of an Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) for communities in need of future broadband investment.   

The ITQ process allows communities to propose areas across the state of Iowa that should be prioritized by the OCIO in the next Empower Rural Iowa broadband grant opportunity. Areas identified by communities through the ITQ process will become Broadband Intervention Zones. Providers who apply for Empower Rural Iowa grant funds to construct service within these Broadband Intervention Zones may be eligible to receive enhanced incentives and higher prioritization for funding. 

“This is a first of its kind program and it relies directly on Iowa communities to inform the state where opportunities exist to expand broadband access,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Empowering local communities will help lay the foundation for future success and access to broadband statewide.” 

Since 2018, the OCIO has coordinated the Empower Rural Iowa Grant program to accelerate broadband expansion in unserved and underserved locations across the state of Iowa. Through seven grant opportunities, $352,850,022 in state and federal funding was awarded to bring broadband service to 109,126 homes, schools and businesses in Iowa. The total new broadband investment between public and private money is $791,203,995.  

Instructions for the ITQ are available here, including videos, guides, and templates to assist communities who wish to submit an application. Community representatives may also e-mail ociogrants@iowa.gov for assistance. To subscribe to email updates, go to https://ocio.iowa.gov/broadband and click the “Subscribe to Broadband Grant Updates” button at the top of the page. 

 

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October 12, 2022

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Iowa

DES MOINES- Governor Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation declaring October is Cybersecurity Awareness month. The proclamation seeks to increase awareness of good cyber hygiene practices among all Iowans. Since 2004 Cybersecurity Awareness Month has helped individuals protect themselves online as threats to technology and confidential data become more commonplace.

“We know from recent cyber attacks such as the Colonial pipeline attack in 2021, that basic good cyber practices can prevent a cyber attack,” said Dr. Matt Behrens, Chief Information Officer for the State of Iowa. “This proclamation will go a long way in illustrating to Iowans the very real need for strong passwords, updated software, and training for everyone on how to be cyber smart.” 

The Department of Management Office of the Chief Information Officer is the division tasked with managing cybersecurity awareness events and working with local and federal partners to promote the “be cyber safe” program. The National Cybersecurity Alliance and Cybersecurity Infrastructure Agency work at the federal level to create publicly available resources and promote public and private partnerships around cybersecurity awareness month. 

For more information on Cybersecurity Awareness Month you can visit Staysafeonline.com or check out the #becybersafe hashtag on your favorite social media. A  digital version of the Cybersecurity Awareness proclamation is available on the OCIO's website. 

September 29, 2022

 

Iowa Awarded for Data Driven Government Practices

DES MOINES-The Department of Management Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is proud to announce that the State of Iowa was awarded 1st place in Data Driven Government from the Center for Digital Government. The award recognizes the systematic use of the state's data resources to support the strategic plans of agencies and departments for effective service delivery

“This award shows that the investments the State of Iowa made in Information Technology are yielding real results for Iowans,” said Iowa Chief Information Officer Dr. Matt Behrens. “We feel this demonstrates the comprehensive way we are innovating and improving information technology in Iowa.”

The award is part of the biennial Digital State Survey. Iowa’s overall grade in the Digital State Survey increased from “B” to “B+” from the 2020 Digital State Survey. The Center for Digital Government noted that Iowa made, “significant strides toward solid governance around how the state uses and upgrades its technology.” 

More information on the Digital States Survey and the Center for Digital Government can be found by going to the website https://www.govtech.com/cdg

August 26, 2022

OCIO announces scalable cybersecurity services for schools and nonprofits

DES MOINES-The Department of Management Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is proud to announce expanded scalable security services for educational institutions and nonprofit organizations in Iowa. The OCIO listened to feedback from customers to create a special rate for schools, school districts, and nonprofits. This rate makes it easier for schools to utilize the state of the art cybersecurity services offered by the OCIO. 

This service will provide next-generation Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) for managed endpoints including PC’s, servers, and other devices. The service also includes state-of-the-art around the clock 24x7 security incident monitoring and response for schools and nonprofits. This security service will cost $8.24 per device billed monthly. 

Under Iowa Code 8b, the OCIO is able to provide cyber security services to state government agencies, cities, counties, educational institutions, and nonprofits in Iowa. The OCIO is excited to offer this service to increase the cybersecurity protection throughout Iowa to protect students, teachers, and schools. Qualifying educational institutions and non-profits wanting more information on scalable security service may reach out by emailing government.services@iowa.gov.

 

Printed from the website on March 19, 2024 at 2:21am.