FFB Week 26 – Counties Mobilize for High-Speed Internet Connectivity

A key ingredient to successfully deploying a high-speed internet or fiber project is to collaborate with local governments. Counties are on the front lines of ensuring their residents receive access to quality, high-speed internet services that will allow residents to thrive. Learn from the National Association of Counties, or NACo, on how counties across the country are mobilizing to deploy high-speed internet to their communities in anticipation of historic infrastructure investment funding in broadband infrastructure and affordability measures. Understand the county and local government role in high-speed internet as well – where a local government can serve a variety of roles including policymaker, partner, funder, data aggregator and community convener among other roles.

Webinar Presenter:

Seamus Dowdall, Associate Legislative Director for Telecommunications & Technology, National Association of Counties (NACo)

Seamus is the associate legislative director for telecommunications & technology on NACo’s government affairs team. In this role, Seamus serves as the liaison to NACo’s Telecommunications & Technology Policy Steering Committee and advocates directly to federal partners in the Administration and on Capitol Hill to advance policy priorities on issues including broadband deployment and accessibility, wireless technology siting, and emergency communications policy. Seamus also works with county officials from across the country to set organizational priorities and policies for telecommunications & technology issues through hosting regular webinar programming and providing technical assistance resources.

Seamus holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Bucknell University, and a master’s in public policy (MPP) degree from American University. Seamus is originally from Silver Spring, Maryland and resides in Baltimore, Maryland.