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Harris County, TX, January 30, 2026, Harris County Commissioners Court nominated two more members to the Harris County Broadband Task Force, marking the first time Harris County has had a fully staffed Broadband Task Force to address the digital divide in our community.

More than 220,000 people in Harris County households rely exclusively on smartphones for Internet access. That makes it difficult to complete important online tasks including job applications, remote learning, and telehealth appointments. Broadband costs an average of $72 a month in Harris County, placing a significant burden on many lower-income families.

“Harris County is the third largest county in the nation, an energy capital of the world, an advanced tech manufacturing hub, and we have a GDP greater than most states. We should not have hundreds of thousands of people in our community without access to reliable high-speed internet. Broadband is critical for kids to be able to learn and families to be able to thrive. We’ve made a lot of progress on this and we still have more work to do,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo.

Commissioners Court voted in June of 2025 to direct Harris County Universal Services to develop a Broadband Task Force. The Broadband Task Force will work to build private-public partnerships with partners including technology vendors and nonprofits to create connectivity programs that will improve broadband planning and implementation efforts across the county. Specifically, the strategic priorities for the Task Force include asset mapping broadband infrastructure, increasing accessibility by expanding public Wi-Fi and assisting with affordable internet and device distribution. 

The Broadband Task Force consists of 18 members, 15 of whom are voting members. The three non-voting members are individuals from the Harris County Flood Control District, the Harris County Toll Road Authority and the Harris County Engineering Department. Five members are appointed by individual Commissioners Court members, five members are appointed ex officio, and eight members are appointed at-large representing specific stakeholder groups like internet providers, school districts, and communities with low connectivity. 

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