The historic Dunbar Theatre in Wichita hosted many-a-celebration when it first opened in 1941, and now Sedgwick County is bringing celebration back to the community in a big way.
On December 5, I was honored to be joined by Wichita Mayor Lily Wu; Kansas state Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau; Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell; Wichita Chamber President John Rolfe; AT&T colleagues; and other local leaders to announce the completion of a public-private project to expand fiber internet access in Sedgwick County and help close the digital divide.
Mayor Wu kicked off the program and shared her perspectives on the importance of this project to the City of Wichita.
“As mayor, I’ve championed an inclusive vision for our entire city focused on ensuring public safety, strengthening our economy, restoring trust in City Hall, and building a united community,” Mayor Wu said. “A key tool in helping us achieve this vision is to ensure our residents can access the digital tools that are essential today.”
It all began under an agreement, announced in January 2023, when the Kansas Office of Broadband Development awarded over $2 million in public funds for the project. More than 350,000 locations across the state already have access to AT&T Fiber, and under this project thousands of additional locations will get to experience high-speed internet, bringing our total to more than 360,000 locations.
Later in the program, Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau, who represents Wichita and parts of Sedgwick County in the state legislature, talked about how important access to broadband is for all aspects of our economy and for Kansans of all ages.
“This use of federal, state and private funds for this project will enable more of our friends and neighbors, businesses, and organizations across the County get and stay connected,” she told the group.
Jim Howell, Sedgwick County Commissioner, also talked about the impact of fiber and 5G wireless service saying:
“We deeply appreciate the nearly $225 million investment in fiber and 5G infrastructure, helping to empower Sedgwick County with a stronger, more connected future.”
AT&T Fiber is the fastest internet in the nation according to the Ookla® Speed Test Connectivity Report.1 Customers can now connect multiple devices, check in with their healthcare providers, log into class, stream multiple entertainment sources, quickly upload content to social media, and experience ultra-low lag times for pro-level gaming – all at the same time.
After the ceremonial ribbon cutting, we were able to visit with one another to talk more about the positive impact this expansion will have in our community – while enjoying a specially designed cake.
Check out more great photos thanks to our friends at the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce on LinkedIn and X.
I’m grateful to everyone who joined us to celebrate this public-private project and highlight what we’re doing at AT&T to connect more Kansans to greater possibility.
1 Limited availability in select areas. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data nationwide Speed Score, Consistency Score and average Consumer Ratings for Q1–Q2 2024. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.
