With a population of almost 16,000 people, Kingfisher County has approximately 4,000 people without the ability to receive adequate high speed internet service at their homes.

Mike Sanders delivered that statistic and more last Tuesday when he addressed the Kingfisher Rotary Club.

Sanders, a former state representative from Kingfi sher, is now the executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office.

He was hired to that post in March.

During his talk with Rotarians, Sanders also noted there are approximately 780,000 people statewide without adequate high speed broadband service, which is 18 percent of the population.

“This is a rural issue,” he said, “because over 90 percent of those without access are in rural areas.”

Sanders said he accepted the OBO position because he saw the need to supply all with affordable high-speed internet service and he felt he was qualified to make that happen.

He said broadband access boosts access to jobs, helps businesses run more efficiently and the connectivity helps with global competitiveness.

In terms of education, broadband access is re-quired for homework and research for children and adults alike, and families with internet capability are better connected to their schools and work, he added.

Another reason Sanders said accepted the job was because it had a very defined and finite objective with a five-year “sundown” restriction, which means that his team has five years to complete the objectives of providing high-speed internet service to all and then the department would be shut down.

His office will be announcing funding for projects that totals more than $1 billion.

That includes $374 through the American Resucle Plan Act (ARPA), $167.7 million through the Capital Project Funds (CPF) and more than $797 through Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD).

He said Native American tribes across the state have been very cooperative with broadband access projects, and with two-thirds of Oklahoma being tribal land, the leadership of the tribes are very receptive to ensuring their members in remote rural areas becoming fully connected through internet services.

Sanders closed by inviting all with questions to contact his office or go to broadband.ok.gov.