The Broadband Development Office (BDO), operated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, awards grants, low-interest loans and other financial incentives to internet service providers who expand access to broadband service in underserved areas. The BDO also provides a variety of tools and resources supporting the expansion of broadband access across Texas.
Farms/Ranches
Of Texas’ nearly 247,000 farms, 25 percent have no internet access at all.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2019
Telehealth
4.5 million Texas residents began using telehealth services during the pandemic, and 94 percent say they plan to continue using them after the crisis subsides.
Source: Texas Association of Health Plans
Schools
17 percent of Texas students lack access to high-speed internet and 30 percent lack a dedicated and adequate learning device at home.
Source: Operation Connectivity, 2020
Rural Users
More than 311,000 households in Texas are “unserved” by 25/3 Mbps broadband – about 89 percent of them in rural areas.
In 2015, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 855, which requires state agencies to publish a list of the three most commonly used Web browsers on their websites. The Texas Comptroller’s most commonly used Web browsers are Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Apple Safari.
