Joplin City Council holds meeting to discuss broadband internet gaps throughout the city

JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin City Council held a work session tonight to update residents on the analysis of broadband gaps in the city.

It reveals several anomalies for the Joplin Area. Only 71% of households have a broadband connection — which is lower than the national average of 87%.

The average price for broadband is around $85 in Joplin — that’s about $10 above the national average. Additionally, there are large gaps in connection speeds in different parts of the city.

“What the pandemic did was further emphasize the need to be resilient in times of natural disasters or other issues that come about, such as being able to be connected virtually with the rest of the world with your healthcare provider, with the city, with doing business from home,” said Patty Heagel, Assistant Director of Planning, Development and Neighborhood Services Department.

There has been significant support for the city to develop an alternative to the current system.

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