Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor David Toland on Tuesday visited Wichita State University with United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and United States Senator Jerry Moran, touring the facilities and discussing essential investments and upgrades being made to infrastructure and high-speed internet access across Kansas.
First, the leaders toured WSU’s National Institute of Aviation Research with key stakeholders, including WSU President Richard Muma and Integra Technologies CEO Brett Robinson. Following the tour, Gov. Kelly, Sen. Moran, and Secretary Raimondo participated in a roundtable discussion on the importance of expanding access to high-speed internet across Kansas.
“I want to thank Senator Moran and Governor Kelly for inviting me to Kansas, and Wichita State University for hosting us. It’s going to take all of us – federal, state, and local governments, the private sector, local organizations, and community colleges and universities – to get every American access to affordable high-speed internet and expand advanced manufacturing in Wichita and across the country,” said Secretary Raimondo. “By working together and taking the time to do this right, we’re going to close the digital divide for good and grow the opportunity for everyone in Kansas and America to succeed.”
Other roundtable attendees included Kansas Farm Bureau CEO and General Counsel Terry Holdren and AT&T Kansas President Jim Jamison.
In 2020, Gov. Kelly established the Office of Broadband Development to strengthen access to high-speed internet across Kansas. The Office has since connected more than 80,000 businesses and households to reliable internet.