In today's digital age, reliable broadband access is essential for economic growth, education, healthcare, and overall quality of life. To address broadband deficiencies and enhance connectivity throughout the county, Saline County has contracted with Design Nine, Inc. of Blacksburg, VA, to conduct a comprehensive broadband study.

Design Nine will examine existing broadband assets offered by local telecom providers and cable companies. The analysis will cover the types of broadband services available, usage patterns, and, most importantly, gaps in coverage. Based on this data, Design Nine will propose strategies for improving broadband services in Saline County.

Call to Action:

The success of this project is completely dependent upon your participation. We urge every resident and business owner to complete the broadband surveys to provide the essential data needed to shape the future of broadband in Saline County. The data collected will empower local leaders and stakeholders to make informed decisions about expanding broadband access in Saline County.

No internet? No problem:

Paper surveys will also be available at select locations throughout the county to gather broadband coverage information from those who may not have the ability to fill the survey out online.

Print the survey to share with your friends and neighbors without internet access!

Let's talk:

Andrew Cohill, PhD, President and CEO of Design Nine, Inc., and Jack Maytum, Senior Broadband Analyst for Design Nine, will visit Saline County from June 24 to 28.

They will host community forums throughout the community that week.

Topics will include:

• Is broadband a luxury or a necessary utility?
• What's the best broadband option for Saline County?
• How will better broadband be funded?

See below for currently scheduled community forums, or email publiccommunications@salinecountyks.gov to schedule one in your area!

Funded by $48,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, this study is crucial for identifying service gaps and developing strategies to improve broadband access.

Design Nine was founded in 1987 by Andrew Cohill to provide technology advice and services to community, business, and public clients. Over the years, the company has grown steadily and now offers a comprehensive array of broadband network services, including early phase planning, network architecture and design, and network construction oversight and project management. Design Nine is one of a very few firms in the United States with experience in the design, construction, and operation of open access broadband networks.

Design Nine projects have included the award-winning nDanville municipal open network, The Wired Road open access network, New Hampshire FastRoads, Rockbridge Area Network Authority network, the City of Eagan, Minnesota open access network, and over a hundred other planning efforts for communities in more than twenty states. The senior leadership of Design Nine has extensive, hands-on experience designing and managing telecommunications and broadband systems.

Design Nine, Inc. is a Virginia corporation with its main office in the Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia. Design Nine has satellite offices in Keene, New Hampshire and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Andrew Cohill is the President of Design Nine. His career in telecom began in the early eighties with work at AT&T Bell Labs.

Cohill has been helping communities develop, build, and operate modern broadband fiber and wireless networks since 1993 when Virginia Tech appointed him the first Director of the Blacksburg Electronic Village, the world’s first Internet-based community broadband project.

Cohill has worked with more than 300 communities worldwide on telecommunications planning, design, and engineering of next-generation high-performance wireless and fiber broadband networks. He has provided assistance to community broadband projects throughout North America, including Canada and the Caribbean. Design Nine provides broadband planning, network construction services, and network operations services for public and private clients throughout the U.S.

Cohill has written and spoken extensively on the future of communities and the relationship between community and economic development and broadband infrastructure. He has a worldwide reputation for his work in helping governments and communities make wise technology investments that support jobs, economic development, and intelligent use of the Internet. 

Jack Maytum is a Senior Broadband Analyst with Design Nine. Over the ten years with the company, Maytum has worked with dozens of town, county, and city broadband feasibility and planning studies. He specializes in community engagement activities, stakeholder engagement, and service provider outreach.

Maytum’s experience in telecom network management began as a communications officer in the U.S. Amy Signal Corp. Later, Maytum worked for AT&T, coordinating the efforts of sales staff and networking professionals who were providing telecom services to Connecticut’s 147,000 business customers.

As Director of Marketing for Nestor Traffic Systems, Maytum prepared technical information for presentations to mayors, councils, and County managers across the U.S. regarding the installation and operation of networked red light cameras and speed detection systems. He also taught network programming for five years at Northeastern University’s State-of-the-Art Engineering program.