Starting early next month, the Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) will begin a second round of tour stops to visit with and hear from Oklahomans about high-speed internet service expansion, OBO Executive Director Mike Sanders announced last week.

One of those stops is in Kingfisher County.

The “Oklahoma’s Digital Promise” tour will pass through 10 cities and towns to provide information and gather public input to develop a detailed plan to help close the divide between people and businesses with access to high-speed internet service and those without it.

The tour kicks off on Oct. 3 and will conclude on Nov. 9.

Residents, business owners, farmers and ranchers, community leaders, members of tribal communities, and representatives for schools, hospitals, nonprofits, and other community organizations are encouraged to attend, Sanders said.

The OBO conducted a 19-stop tour from May to July.

Hundreds of Oklahomans participated to give input on their needs for broadband service they currently lack. “The goal of the ‘Oklahoma’s Digital Promise’ tour is to collect data points that will ultimately help connect unserved and underserved communities to access to high-speed internet,” Sanders said.

“Reliable internet has become a necessity not a luxury. The OBO needs the community’s input in order to break down barriers to access.”

The public is encouraged to register at this link (https://www.eventbrite. com/ cc/ oklahomas- digital- promise-2483819) for any of the stops on the tour, which will take place in the following cities and towns:

• Oct. 3, 1 p.m. – Hobart

• Oct. 5, 1 p.m. – Muskogee • Oct. 11, 6 p.m. – Krebs

• Oct. 12, 11 a.m. – Burns Flat

• Oct. 17, 1 p.m. – Atoka

• Oct. 19, 6 p.m. – Oklahoma City

• Oct. 24, 11 a.m. – Okarche • Oct. 25, 1 p.m. – Dunonciliation can

• Oct. 26, noon – Watonga • Nov. 9, 10 a.m. – Ponca City Data show more than 728,000 Oklahomans currently lack access to dependable high-speed internet service in Oklahoma.

That’s more than one-insix Oklahoma residents.

For questions regarding the tour, the public is encouraged to email or call MJ Barton, Tribal & Programs Outreach Manager, OBO, at mj.barton@broadband. ok.gov or (405) 517-2393.