The Franklin County Broadband Internet Taskforce is issuing surveys for citizens to share their level of internet service so the group can compile information in moving forward with searching for grant money.

The group said during a meeting on March 27 that the survey is being offered to citizens in two different ways. Students in grades K-6 will be issued surveys at school for them to bring home to their parents. Parents are to fill out the survey and return it to school with their students.

An online version of the survey is available at franklincountybroadband.org and can be filled out by any Franklin County resident.

Franklin County IT and Facility Project Manager Frank Hoehn said the survey will help them understand who and what parts of the county are under served as far as internet service goes.

“The goal of this taskforce and this survey is to eventually help provide affordable high-speed internet for the rural areas of the county,” Hoehn said.

Franklin County Commissioner Rayburn Massey said the information compiled from this survey could help the county move forward like other counties are doing.

“Textbooks are on the way out and we need to get ahead of this trend that’s happening and get something done,” Massey said. “We need to get the high-speed services out to the people who don’t have them now so hopefully this survey can be a step in getting that done.”